Variation of magnetic properties with current in ferrimagnetic semiconductor Mn3Si2Te6

Abstract

Orbital currents play a fundamental role in a wide range of transport phenomena. Recently, the discovery of a novel chiral orbital current state in the ferrimagnetic nodal-line semiconductor Mn3Si2Te6 has attracted significant interest, supported by anomalous I–V characteristics and time-dependent bistable switching. However, the direct experimental verifications, combining electrical transport and magnetic measurement, that detect the variation of the magnetic properties vs the current are still rare. Here, we investigate the transport properties of Mn3Si2Te6 and track the current-induced dynamics of the magnetic moment. Reflective magnetic circular dichroism reveals that significant alterations in Mn3Si2Te6 magnetoresistance in response to an electric field are necessarily coupled with a magnetic phase transition, establishing a rare correlation. Our findings indicate the predominance of magnetic chiral orbital currents in the colossal angular magnetoresistance effect, offering a unique platform for advanced studies in orbital magnetism.