Intrinsic quantum anomalous Hall phase induced by proximity in germanene/Cr\(_2\)Ge\(_2\)Te\(_6\) van der Waals heterostructure

Abstract

A van der Waals heterostructure combined with intrinsic magnetism and topological orders have recently paved attractive avenues to realize quantum anomalous Hall effects. In this work, using first-principles calculations and effective model analysis, we propose that the robust quantum anomalous Hall states with sizable band gaps emerge in the van der Waals heterostructure of germanene/Cr\(_2\)Ge\(_2\)Te\(_6\). This heterostructure possesses high thermodynamic stability, thus facilitating its experimental fabrication. Furthermore, we uncover that the proximity effect enhances the coupling between the germanene and Cr\(_2\)Ge\(_2\)Te\(_6\) layers, inducing the nontrivial band gaps in a wide range from 29 meV to 72 meV. The chiral edge states inside the band gap, leading to Hall conductance quantized to \(-e^2/h\), are clearly visible. This findings provide an ideal candidate to detect the quantum anomalous Hall states and realize further applications to nontrivial quantum transport at a high temperature.