Emergence of magnetic ordering and weak antilocalization in Fe-doped : Evidence by muon spin resonance and density functional theory studies
Phys. Rev. B 114, 074430 – Published 24 August, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/7jww-qc6d
Abstract
Three-dimensional topological insulators have garnered significant attention in scientific research due to their unique electronic properties. An in-depth study has been conducted to explore the influence of iron (Fe) doping on both the magnetic properties and the topological insulating behavior of . Magnetization measurements indicate a magnetic phase transition in the Fe-doped sample, along with the emergence of superparamagnetic behavior at low temperatures, characterized by an enhanced magnetic moment. Low-temperature curves fitted with the Langevin equation suggest the formation of Fe-induced magnetic clusters within the matrix. Temperature-dependent muon spin resonance measurements also support the enhancement of magnetic ordering in the doped sample. The low-temperature, low-field magnetoresistance data of the Fe-doped material suggests weak antilocalization (WAL) behavior of the carriers. The signature of WAL is further supported by the Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka fitting of the low-temperature magnetoconductance data. Density functional theory calculations for both undoped and Fe-doped samples corroborate with the experimental study and reveal an increase in the spin-orbit interaction upon Fe doping. The observation of these phenomena induced by Fe doping underlines the potential of this approach for the development of intrinsic magnetic topological insulators for a broad range of application.