Magnetic Topological Insulator Schematic (IMAGE) DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory Caption Schematic diagram showing both the magnetism and the conductive behavior on the surface of MnBi2Te4. The magnetism points uniformly upward, as shown by the red arrows, and the surface electrons, represented by the hourglass structures, are conductive because the top and bottom halves touch at the vertex with no 'gap' in the middle (see text). Both of these features are not expected to occur simultaneously, illustrating the need to further understand the material's fundamental properties. Credit Brookhaven National Laboratory Usage Restrictions OK for use with stories about this research, License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.