Universal Approach to Magnetic Second-Order Topological Insulator

We propose a universal practical approach to realize magnetic second-order topological insulator (SOTI) materials, based on properly breaking the time reversal symmetry in conventional (first-order) topological insulators. The approach works for both three dimensions (3D) and two dimensions (2D) and is particularly suitable for 2D, where it can be achieved by coupling a quantum spin Hall insulator with a magnetic substrate. Using first-principles calculations, we predict bismuthene on EuO(111) surface as the first realistic system for a two-dimensional magnetic SOTI. We explicitly demonstrate the existence of the protected corner states. Benefitting from the large spin-orbit coupling and sizable magnetic proximity effect, these corner states are located in a boundary gap ∼83 meV, and hence can be readily probed in experiment. By controlling the magnetic phase transition, a topological phase transition between a first-order TI and a SOTI can be simultaneously achieved in the system. The effect of symmetry breaking, the connection with filling anomaly, and the experimental detection are discussed.
Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 056402 (2020).