Tunable magnetic domains in ferrimagnetic MnSb$_2$Te$_4$

Abstract

Highly tunable properties make Mn(Bi,Sb)$_2$Te$_4$ a rich playground for exploring the interplay between band topology and magnetism: On one end, MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ is an antiferromagnetic topological insulator, while the magnetic structure of MnSb$_2$Te$_4$ (MST) can be tuned between antiferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic. Motivated to control electronic properties through real-space magnetic textures, we use magnetic force microscopy (MFM) to image the domains of ferrimagnetic MST. We find that magnetic field tunes between stripe and bubble domain morphologies, raising the possibility of topological spin textures. Moreover, we combine in situ transport with domain manipulation and imaging to both write MST device properties and directly measure the scaling of the Hall response with domain area. This work demonstrates measurement of the local anomalous Hall response using MFM, and opens the door to reconfigurable domain-based devices in the M(B,S)T family.