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  • Open Access

Defect-Induced Displacement of Topological Surface State in Quantum Magnet MnBi2Te4

Felix Lüpke1,2,3,4,5, Marek Kolmer1,6,7, Hengxin Tan8, Hao Chang1, Adam Kaminski6,7, Binghai Yan8,9, Jiaqiang Yan10, Wonhee Ko1,11,*, and An-Ping Li1,†

  • *Contact author: wko@utk.edu
  • †Contact author: apli@ornl.gov
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 066603 – Published 6 August, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/pt1j-996m

Abstract

The topological magnet MnBi2Te4 (MBT), with gapped topological surface state, is an attractive platform for realizing quantum anomalous Hall and axion insulator states. However, the experimentally observed surface state gaps fail to meet theoretical predictions, although the exact mechanism behind the gap suppression has been debated. Recent theoretical studies suggest that intrinsic antisite defects push the topological surface state away from the MBT surface, closing its gap and making it less accessible to scanning probe experiments. Here, we report on the local effect of defects on the MBT surface states and demonstrate that high defect concentrations lead to a displacement of the surface states well into the MBT crystal, validating the theorized mechanism. The local and global influence of antisite defects on the topological surface states are studied with samples of varying defect densities by combining scanning tunneling microscopy, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, and density functional theory. Our findings identify a combination of increased defect density and reduced defect spacing as the primary factors underlying the displacement of the surface states and suppression of surface gap, guiding further development of topological quantum materials.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 066603– Published 6 August, 2026
  • Received 9 July 2025
  • Revised 26 May 2026
  • Accepted 1 July 2026
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