Strain-engineering quantum anomalous Hall effect in janus MnBi2SexTe4-x monolayers

Abstract: Exploring intrinsic magnetic topological insulators (TIs) for next-generation spintronic devices is still challenging in recent years. Here, we present a theoretical investigation on the electronic, magnetic and topological properties of monolayer (ML) Janus MnBi2TexSe4-x, derived from two trivial magnetic semiconductors ML MnBi2Se4 and MnBi2Te4. Our band structure analysis reveals that two out of the eight Janus structures exhibit band inversion induced by spin-orbit coupling. These structures are confirmed to have nonzero integer Chern numbers, indicating their topological nature. Moreover, the topological state is robust under moderate biaxial strains. Interestingly, applying compressive strain results in a high Chern number of 2 and enhances their magnetic stability at elevated temperatures. Our findings offer an effective strategy to engineer magnetic TI states within the ML MnBi2Te4 family.