Thermal Transport Properties of Magnons on the $\alpha$-T$_3$ Lattice

Abstract

We theoretically investigate magnons on the $\alpha$-T$_3$ lattice. Atomistic spin dynamics simulations show that next-nearest neighbor hopping and easy-axis anisotropy stabilize ferromagnetic order in the presence of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. We identify one topologically trivial magnon insulator phase and three magnon Chern insulator phases. The topologically trivial magnon insulator phase exhibits a small but non-zero magnon thermal Hall conductivity, while in the magnon Chern insulator phases the Chern number of the lowest magnon band dominates the magnon thermal Hall conductivity. The sign of the magnon thermal Hall conductivity does not change at the topological phase boundaries, but distinct changes are observed in the magnitude.