Pressure-induced magnetic and topological transitions in non-centrosymmetric MnIn$_{2}$Te$_{4}$

Abstract

The discovery of time-reversal-invariant topological states has drawn great attention in recent decades. However, despite the potential of displaying a variety of exotic physics, the study of magnetic topological phases lags behind due to underlying added complexity of magnetism. In this work, we predict the interplay of magnetism and topology in the non-centrosymmetric ternary manganese compound MnIn$_2$Te$_4$, using first-principles calculations. At ambient pressure, the ground state of the system is an antiferromagnetic insulator. With the application of small hydrostatic pressure ($\sim$0.50 GPa), it undergoes a magnetic transition and the ferromagnetic state becomes energetically favourable. At $\sim$2.92 GPa, the system undergoes a transition into a Weyl semimetallic phase, which hosts multiple Weyl points in the bulk and is associated with non-trivial surface Fermi arcs. Remarkably, we discover that the number of Weyl points in this system can be controlled by pressure and that these manifest in an anomalous Hall conductivity (AHC). In addition to proposing a new candidate magnetic topological material, our work demonstrates that pressure can be an effective way to induce and control topological phases, as well as AHC, in magnetic materials. These properties may allow our proposed material to be used as a novel pressure-controlled Hall switch.