Experimental Verification of the Van Vleck Nature of Long-Range Ferromagnetic Order in the Vanadium-Doped Three-Dimensional Topological Insulator Sb[subscript 2]Te[subscript 3]

Abstract

We demonstrate by high resolution low temperature electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) measurements that the long range ferromagnetic (FM) order in the vanadium- (V-)doped topological insulator Sb[subscript 2]Te[subscript 3] has the nature of van Vleck–type ferromagnetism. The positions and the relative amplitudes of two core-level peaks (L[subscript 3] and L[subscript 2]) of the V EELS spectrum show unambiguous change when the sample is cooled from room temperature to T = 10 K. Magnetotransport and comparison of the measured and simulated EELS spectra confirm that these changes originate from the onset of FM order. Crystal field analysis indicates that in V-doped Sb[subscript 2]Te[subscript 3], partially filled core states contribute to the FM order. Since van Vleck magnetism is a result of summing over all states, this magnetization of core level verifies the van Vleck–type ferromagnetism in a direct manner.