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Updated: Aug 6, 2026
09:06
Visualizing Uniaxial-strain Manipulation of Antiferromagnetic Domains in Fe1+YTe Using a Spin-polarized Scanning Tunneling Microscope
Published on: March 24, 2019
Versatile electronic phases enabled by intertwined multiple frustrations in an antiferromagnetic two-dimensional
Y Fujisawa1,2, P Wu1,3, T Nakamura1
1Quantum Materials Science Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Okinawa, Japan.
Nature Communications
|July 23, 2026
Summary
Researchers discovered tunable, coexisting magnetic and electronic phases in CeTe3, a van der Waals material. These findings advance the understanding of quantum matter beyond graphene, opening new avenues for exotic electronic phases.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
- Quantum Matter
Background:
- Van der Waals materials are crucial platforms for exploring quantum matter.
- Strongly interacting electronic phases beyond graphene are still largely undiscovered.
- CeTe3 is a van der Waals semimetal with potential for novel electronic states.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the electronic phases in the van der Waals semimetal CeTe3.
- To explore the tunability of these phases using external magnetic fields.
- To understand the interplay of correlations, symmetry-breaking, and topology in CeTe3.
Main Methods:
- Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS).
- Quasiparticle-interference imaging.
- Application of in-plane magnetic fields.
Main Results:
- Discovery of three competing multiple-q antiferromagnetic charge-ordered states (stripe- and checkerboard-type).
- Identification of field-tunable states with specific propagation vectors, controlled by ~1.5 T magnetic fields.
- Observation of distinct nesting channels, Fermi-surface reconstructions, and broad electronic reconstruction around the Fermi level.
Conclusions:
- CeTe3 hosts tunable nanoscale antiferromagnetic electronic phases.
- These phases exhibit intertwined correlations, exotic symmetry-breaking, and nontrivial topology.
- The study establishes CeTe3 as a promising platform for exploring complex quantum phenomena.
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