Electronic fingerprints of Cr and V dopants in the topological insulator Sb₂Te₃

Abstract

By combining scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy and first-principles calculations, we systematically study the local electronic states of magnetic dopants V and Cr in the topological insulator (TI) Sb₂Te₃. Spectroscopic imaging shows diverse local defect states between Cr and V, which agree with our first-principle calculations. The unique spectroscopic features of V and Cr dopants provide electronic fingerprints for the codoped magnetic TI samples with the enhanced quantum anomalous Hall effect. Our results also facilitate the exploration of the underlying mechanism of the enhanced quantum anomalous Hall temperature in Cr/V codoped TIs.