The analogues of elementary particles have been extensively searched for in condensed matter systems because of both scientific interests and technological applications. Recently massless Dirac fermions were found to emerge as low energy excitations in the materials named Dirac semimetals. All the currently known Dirac semimetals are nonmagnetic with both time-reversal symmetry $\mathcal{T}$ and inversion symmetry $\mathcal{P}$. Here we show that Dirac fermions can exist in one type of antiferromagnetic systems, where $\mathcal{T}$ and $\mathcal{P}$ are broken but their combination $\mathcal{PT}$ is respected. We propose orthorhombic antiferromagnet CuMnAs as a candidate, analyze the robustness of the Dirac points with symmetry protections, and demonstrate its distinctive bulk dispersions as well as the corresponding surface states by \emph{ab initio} calculations. Our results give a new route towards the realization of Dirac materials, and provide a possible platform to study the interplay of Dirac fermion physics and magnetism.
We study the photoresponse of two-dimensional semi-Dirac semimetals and three-dimensional Dirac semimetals to off-resonant circularly polarized light. For two-dimensional semi-Dirac semimetals we find that incident light does not open a gap in the spectrum, in contrast to the case of purely linear dispersion. For the three-dimensional case we find that applying a circularly polarized light, one can tune from a trivial insulator to three-dimensional Dirac semimetal with an inverted gap. We propose and show that application of light leads to an intriguing platform for generation, motion and merg…
The search for symmetry-protected 2D Dirac semimetals analogous to graphene is important both for fundamental and practical interest. The 2D Dirac cones are protected by crystalline symmetries and magnetic ordering may destroy their robustness. Here we propose a general framework to classify stable 2D Dirac semimetals in spin-orbit coupled systems having the combined time-reversal and inversion symmetries, and show the existence of the stable Dirac points in 2D antiferromagnetic semimetals. Compared to 3D Dirac semimetals which fall into two distinct classes, Dirac semimetals in 2D with combin…
Electronic structures of Ge$_{1-x}$Sn$_{x}$ alloys (0 $\leq$ $x$ $\leq$ 1) are theoretically studied by nonlocal empirical pseudopotential method. For relaxed Ge$_{1-x}$Sn$_{x}$, a topological semimetal is found for $\textit x$ $>$ 41$\%$ with gapless and band inversion at $Γ$ point, while there is an indirect-direct bandgap transition at $x$ = 8.5$\%$. For strained Ge$_{1-x}$Sn$_{x}$ on a Ge substrate, semimetals with a negative indirect bandgap appear for $x$ $>$ 43$\%$, and the strained Ge$_{1-x}$Sn$_{x}$ on Ge is always an indirect bandgap semiconductor for $x$ $<$ 43$\%$. With appropriate…
We study three-dimensional nodal line semimetals (NLSMs) with magnetic ordering and strong spin-orbit interaction. Two distinct classes of magnetic NLSMs are proposed. The first class is band-inversion NLSM where the accidental line node is induced by band inversion and locally protected by glide mirror plane and the combined time-reversal and inversion symmetries. This can be viewed as a trivial stacking of the two-dimensional antiferromagnetic Dirac semimetals. The second class is essential NLSM where the nodal features are filling-enforced by specific magnetic symmetry group. We further pro…
Three dimensional (3D) Dirac semimetals are 3D analogue of graphene, which display Dirac points with linear dispersion in k-space, stabilized by crystal symmetry. Cd3As2 and Na3Bi were predicted to be 3D Dirac semimetals and were subsequently demonstrated by photoemission experiments. As unveiled by transport measurements, several exotic phases, such as Weyl semimetals, topological insulators, and topological superconductors, can be deduced by breaking time reversal or inversion symmetry. Here, we reported a facile and scalable chemical vapor deposition method to fabricate high-quality Dirac s…
We study the time-development processes of spin and charge transport phenomena in a topological Dirac semimetal attached to a ferromagnetic insulator with a precessing magnetization. Compared to conventional normal metals, topological Dirac semimetals manifest a large inverse spin Hall effect when a spin current is pumped from the attached ferromagnetic insulator. It is shown that the induced charge current is semi-quantized, i.e., it depends only on the distance between the two Dirac points in momentum space and hardly depends on the disorder strength when the system remains in the topologica…
Graphene is famous for being a host of 2D Dirac fermions. However, spin-orbit coupling introduces a small gap, so that graphene is formally a quantum spin hall insulator. Here we present symmetry-protected 2D Dirac semimetals, which feature Dirac cones at high-symmetry points that are \emph{not} gapped by spin-orbit interactions, and exhibit behavior distinct from both graphene and 3D Dirac semimetals. Using a two-site tight-binding model, we construct representatives of three possible distinct Dirac semimetal phases, and show that single symmetry-protected Dirac points are impossible in two d…
We study a class of Dirac semimetals that feature an eightfold-degenerate double Dirac point. We show that 7 of the 230 space groups can host such Dirac points and argue that they all generically display linear dispersion. We introduce an explicit tight-binding model for space groups 130 and 135, showing that 135 can host an intrinsic double Dirac semimetal -- one with no additional degeneracies at the Fermi energy. We consider symmetry-lowering perturbations and show that uniaxial compressive strain in different directions leads to topologically distinct insulating phases. In addition, the do…
Three dimensional (3D) Dirac semimetal is a novel state of quantum matter, characterized by the gapless bulk four-fold degeneracy near Fermi energy. Soon after its discovery, the classification of stable 3D Dirac semimetals with inversion and rotational symmetry have been studied. However, only ten out of thirty-two point groups have both inversion and rotational symmetry, and we need a more complete classification of stable 3D Dirac semimetals. Here we classify stable 3D Dirac semimetals with reflection symmetry and rotational symmetry in the presence of time reversal symmetry, which belong t…
Weyl and Dirac semimetals recently stimulate intense research activities due to their novel properties. Combining first-principles calculations and effective model analysis, we predict that nonmagnetic compounds BaYBi (Y=Au, Ag and Cu) are Dirac semimetals. As for the magnetic compound EuYBi, although the time reversal symmetry is broken, their long-range magnetic ordering cannot split the Dirac point into pairs of Weyl points. However, we propose that partially substitute Eu ions by Ba ions will realize the Weyl semimetal.
Based on first-principles calculation and effective model analysis, we propose that the cubic antiperovskite material Cu$_3$PdN can host a three-dimensional (3D) topological nodal line semimetal state when spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is ignored, which is protected by coexistence of time-reversal and inversion symmetry. There are three nodal line circles in total due to the cubic symmetry. "Drumhead"-like surface flat bands are also derived. When SOC is included, each nodal line evolves into a pair of stable 3D Dirac points as protected by C$_4$ crystal symmetry. This is remarkably distinguished …
We propose that the noncentrosymmetric LiGaGe-type hexagonal $ABC$ crystal SrHgPb realizes a new type of topological semimetal that hosts both Dirac and Weyl points in momentum space. The symmetry-protected Dirac points arise due to a band inversion and are located on the sixfold rotation $z$-axis, whereas the six pairs of Weyl points related by sixfold symmetry are located on the perpendicular $k_z=0$ plane. By studying the electronic structure as a function of the buckling of the HgPb layer, which is the origin of inversion symmetry breaking, we establish that the coexistence of Dirac and We…
Black phosphorus (BP), a layered van der Waals material, reportedly has a band gap sensitive to external perturbations and manifests a Dirac-semimetal phase when its band gap is closed. Previous studies were focused on effects of each perturbation, lacking a unified picture for the band-gap closing and the Dirac-semimetal phase. Here, using pseudospins from the glide-reflection symmetry, we study the electronic structures of mono- and bilayer BP and construct the phase diagram of the Dirac-semimetal phase in the parameter space related to pressure, strain, and electric field. We find that the …
We present a new type of three-dimensional essential Dirac semimetal with magnetic ordering. The Dirac points are protected by the magnetic space groups and cannot be gapped without lowering such symmetries, where the combined antiunitary symmetry of half-translation operator and time-reversal plays an essential role. We introduce two explicit tight-binding models for space groups $16$ and $102$, which possesses Dirac point at time-reversal-invariant momenta of surface Brillouin zone. In contrast to the time-reversal-invariant essential Dirac semimetal, the magnetic space groups here can be ei…
We study with first-principles methods the interplay between bulk and surface Dirac fermions in three dimensional Dirac semimetals. By combining density functional theory with the coherent potential approximation, we reveal a topological phase transition in Na$_3$Bi$_{1-x}$Sb$_{x}$ and Cd$_3$[As$_{1-x}$P$_x$]$_2$ alloys, where the material goes from a Dirac semimetal to a trivial insulator upon changing Sb or P concentrations. Tuning the composition allows us to engineer the position of the bulk Dirac points in reciprocal space. Interestingly, the phase transition coincides with the reversal o…
Fermi arc surface states, a hallmark of topological Dirac semimetals, can host carriers that exhibit unusual dynamics distinct from that of their parent bulk. Here we find that Fermi arc carriers in intrinsic Dirac semimetals possess a strong and anisotropic light matter interaction. This is characterized by a large Fermi arc optical conductivity when light is polarized transverse to the Fermi arc; when light is polarized along the Fermi arc, Fermi arc optical conductivity is significantly muted. The large surface spectral weight is locked to the wide separation between Dirac nodes and persist…
Non-Hermiticity in Weyl Hamiltonian leads to the realization of Weyl exceptional rings and flat bands inside the Weyl exceptional rings. Recently, the platform of non-Hermitian physics is extended to many-body or disordered systems where quasiparticles possess finite lifetime. Here, we clarify that the deviation from unitarity limit in a disordered Weyl semimetal leads to the generation of Weyl exceptional rings regardless of the detail of the scattering potential. In the case of topological Dirac semimetals, hybrid rings and flat bands without vorticity of complex-energy eigenvalues are reali…
Three-dimensional Dirac semimetals, a three-dimensional analogue of graphene, are unusual quantum materials with massless Dirac fermions, which can be further converted to Weyl fermions by breaking time reversal or inversion symmetry. Topological surface states with Fermi arcs are predicted on the surface and have been observed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments. Although the exotic transport properties of the bulk Dirac cones have been demonstrated, it is still a challenge to reveal the surface states via transport measurements due to the highly conductive bulk states. H…
We theoretically study the interplay between bulk Weyl electrons and magnetic topological defects, including magnetic domains, domain walls, and $\mathbb{Z}_6$ vortex lines, in the antiferromagnetic Weyl semimetals \mnsn\ and Mn$_3$Ge with negative vector chirality. We argue that these materials possess a hierarchy of energies scales which allows a description of the spin structure and spin dynamics using a XY model with $\mathbb{Z}_6$ anisotropy. We propose a dynamical equation of motion for the XY order parameter, which implies the presence of $\mathbb{Z}_6$ vortex lines, the double-domain p…
The three dimensional (3D) topological insulators are predicted to exhibit a 3D Dirac semimetal state in critical regime of topological to trivial phase transition. Here we demonstrate the first experimental evidence of 3D Dirac semimetal state in topological insulator Bi2Se3 with bulk carrier concentration of ~ 10^19 cm^{-3}, using magneto-transport measurements. At low temperatures, the resistivity of our Bi2Se3 crystal exhibits clear Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations above 6T. The analysis of these oscillations through Lifshitz-Onsanger and Lifshitz-Kosevich theory reveals a non-trivial …
Band-crossings occurring on a mirror plane are compelled to form a nodal loop in the momentum space without spin-orbit coupling (SOC). In the presence of other equivalent mirror planes, multiple such nodal loops can combine to form interesting nodal-link structures. Here, based on first-principles calculations and an effective $\mathbf{k.p}$ model analysis, we show that CaAuAs hosts a unique starfruit-like nodal-link structure in the bulk electronic dispersion in the absence of SOC. This nodal-link is comprised of three nodal loops, which cross each other at the time-reversal-invariant momentu…
Anomalous surface states with Fermi arcs are commonly considered to be a fingerprint of Dirac semimetals (DSMs). In contrast to Weyl semimetals, however, Fermi arcs of DSMs are not topologically protected. Using first-principles calculations, we predict that $β$-CuI is a peculiar DSM whose surface states form closed Fermi pockets instead of Fermi arcs. In such a fermiological Dirac semimetal, the deformation mechanism from Fermi arcs to Fermi pockets stems from a large cubic term preserving all crystal symmetries, and the small energy difference between the surface and bulk Dirac points. The c…
We have studied helicity dependent photocurrent (HDP) in Bi-based Dirac semimetal thin films. HDP increases with film thickness before it saturates, changes its sign when the majority carrier type is changed from electrons to holes and takes a sharp peak when the Fermi level lies near the charge neutrality point. These results suggest that irradiation of circularly polarized light to Dirac semimetals induces an effective magnetic field that aligns the carrier spin along the light spin angular momentum and generates a spin current along the film normal. The effective magnetic field is estimated…
Recently, giant planar Hall effect originating from chiral anomaly has been predicted in nonmagnetic Dirac/Weyl semimetals. ZrTe5 is considered to be an intriguing Dirac semimetal at the boundary of weak topological insulators and strong topological insulators, though this claim still remains controversial. Here, we report the observation in ZrTe5 of the giant planar Hall resistivity that shows two different magnetic-field dependences as predicted by theory and a maximum at the Lifshitz transition temperature. We found that the giant planar Hall resistivity fades out with decreasing the thickn…
Dirac and Weyl semimetals are new discovered topological nontrivial materials with the linear band dispersions around the Dirac/Weyl points. When applying non-orthogonal electric current and magnetic field, an exotic phenomenon called chiral anomaly arises and negative longitudinal resistance can be detected. Recently, a new phenomenon named planer Hall effect (PHE) is considered to be another indication of chiral anomaly which has been observed in many topological semimetals. However, it still remains a question that is the PHE only attributed to chiral anomaly? Here we demonstrate the PHE in…
A three-dimensional Dirac semimetal has bulk Dirac cones in all three momentum directions and Fermi arc-like surface states, and can be converted into a Weyl semimetal by breaking time-reversal symmetry. However, the highly conductive bulk state usually hides the electronic transport from the surface state in Dirac semimetal. Here, we demonstrate the supercurrent carried by bulk and surface states in Nb-Cd3As2 nanowire-Nb short and long junctions, respectively. For the 1 micrometer long junction, the Fabry-Perot interferences induced oscillations of the critical supercurrent are observed, sugg…
In general, the stability of a band crossing point indicates the presence of a quantized topological number associated with it. In particular, the recent discovery of three-dimensional Dirac semimetals in Na$_{3}$Bi and Cd$_{3}$As$_{2}$ demonstrates that a Dirac point with four-fold degeneracy can be stable as long as certain crystalline symmetries are supplemented in addition to the time-reversal and inversion symmetries. However, the topological charges associated with Na$_{3}$Bi and Cd$_{3}$As$_{2}$ are not clarified yet. In this work, we identify the topological charge of three-dimensional…
Quantum limit is quite easy to achieve once the band crossing exists exactly at the Fermi level ($E_F$) in topological semimetals. In multilayered Dirac fermion system, the density of Dirac fermions on the zeroth Landau levels (LLs) increases in proportion to the magnetic field, resulting in intriguing angle- and field-dependent interlayer tunneling conductivity near the quantum limit. BaGa$_2$ is an example of multilayered Dirac semimetal with anisotropic Dirac cone close to $E_F$, providing a good platform to study its interlayer transport properties. In this paper, we report the negative in…
Cd3As2 is a model material of Dirac semimetal with a linear dispersion relation along all three directions in the momentum space. The unique band structure of Cd3As2 makes it with both Dirac and topological properties. It can be driven into a Weyl semimetal by the symmetry breaking or a topological insulator by enhancing the spin-orbit coupling. Here we report the temperature and gate voltage dependent magnetotransport properties of Cd3As2 nanoplates with Fermi level near the Dirac point. The Hall anomaly demonstrates the two-carrier transport accompanied by a transition from n-type to p-type …
Symmetry protected Dirac semimetals can be transformed into Weyl semimetals by breaking the protecting symmetry, leading to many exotic quantum phenomena such as chiral anomaly and anomalous Hall effect. Here we show that, due to the large Zeeman g factor and small band width along b-axis in Dirac semimetal ZrTe5, a magnetic field of about 8 T along b-axis direction may annihilate the Weyl points and open up a two-dimensional (2D) Dirac mass gap, when the Zeeman splitting exceeds the band width along b-axis. This is manifested by a sharp drop of magnetoresistance (MR) above 8 T, which is proba…
The mixed-chalcogenide compound TlBiSSe realizes a three-dimensional (3D) Dirac semimetal state. In clean, low-carrier-density single crystals of this material, we found Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations to signify its 3D Dirac nature. Moreover, we observed very large linear magnetoresistance (MR) approaching 10,000% in 14 T at 1.8 K, which diminishes rapidly above 30 K. Our analysis of the magnetotransport data points to the possibility that the linear MR is fundamentally governed by the Hall field; although such a situation has been predicted for highly-inhomogeneous systems, inhomogeneity does…
Dirac semimetal is a class of semi-metallic phase protected by certain types of crystalline symmetries, and its low-energy effective Hamiltonian is described by Dirac equations in three dimensions (3D). Despite of various theoretical studies, theories that describe the topological nature of Dirac semimetals have not been well established. In this work, we define a topological invariant for 3D Dirac semimetals by establishing a mapping between a 3D Dirac semimetal and a topological crystalline insulator in four dimension (4D). We demonstrate this scheme by constructing a tight-binding model for…
A sufficiently strong long-range Coulomb interaction can induce excitonic pairing in gapless Dirac semimetals, which generates a finite gap and drives semimetal-insulator quantum phase transition. This phenomenon is in close analogy to dynamical chiral symmetry breaking in high energy physics. In most realistic Dirac semimetals, including suspended graphene, Coulomb interaction is too weak to open an excitonic gap. The Coulomb interaction plays a more important role at low energies in a two-dimensional semi-Dirac semimetal, in which the fermion spectrum is linear in one component of momenta an…
A three-dimensional (3D) Dirac semimetal is the 3D analog of graphene whose bulk band shows a linear dispersion relation in the 3D momentum space. Since each Dirac point with four-fold degeneracy carries a zero Chern number, a Dirac semimetal can be stable only in the presence of certain crystalline symmetries. In this work, we propose a general framework to classify stable 3D Dirac semimetals. Based on symmetry analysis, we show that various types of stable 3D Dirac semimetals exist in systems having the time-reversal, inversion, and uniaxial rotational symmetries. There are two distinct clas…
Recently Weyl fermions have attracted increasing interest in condensed matter physics due to their rich phenomenology originated from their nontrivial monopole charges. Here we present a theory of real Dirac points that can be understood as real monopoles in momentum space, serving as a real generalization of Weyl fermions with the reality being endowed by the $PT$ symmetry. The real counterparts of topological features of Weyl semimetals, such as Nielsen-Ninomiya no-go theorem, $2$D sub topological insulators and Fermi arcs, are studied in the $PT$ symmetric Dirac semimetals, and the underlyi…
We report first-principles calculations on antiferromagnetic spin ordering in graphene under biaxial strain. Using hybrid functional calculations, we found that semimetallic graphene sheets undergo a transition to antiferromagnetic insulators at a biaxial strain of 7.7% and that the band gap rapidly increases after the onset of this transition before reaching 0.9 eV at a biaxial strain of 12%. We examined the competition of the antiferromagnetic spin ordering with two-dimensional Peierls distortions upon biaxial strain, and found that the preceding antiferromagnetic insulator phase impedes the…
We report the experimental realization of Dirac semimetal state in NdSb, a material with antiferromagnetic ground state. The occurrence of topological semimetal state has been well supported by our band structure calculations and the experimental observation of chiral anomaly induced negative magnetoresistance. A field-induced Fermi surface reconstruction is observed, in response to the change of spin polarization. The observation of topological semimetal state in a magnetic material provides an opportunity to investigate the magneto-topological phenomena.
We study dynamical mass generation and the resultant helical spin orders in topological Dirac and Weyl semimetals, including the edge states of quantum spin Hall insulators, the surface states of weak topological insulators, and the bulk materials of Weyl semimetals. In particular, the helical spin textures of Weyl semimetals manifest the spin-momentum locking of Weyl fermions in a visible manner. The spin-wave fluctuations of the helical order carry electric charge density; therefore, the spin textures can be electrically controlled in a simple and predictable manner.
Recent experiments revealed that Mn3Sn and Mn3Ge exhibit a strong anomalous Hall effect at room temperature, provoking us to explore their electronic structures for topological properties. By ab initio band structure calculations, we have observed the existence of multiple Weyl points in the bulk and corresponding Fermi arcs on the surface, predicting antiferromagnetic Weyl semimetals in Mn3Ge and Mn3Sn. Here the chiral antiferromagnetism in the Kagome-type lattice structure is essential to determine the positions and numbers of Weyl points. Our work further reveals a new guiding principle to …
Here, we report by first-principles calculations one new stable 2D Dirac material, Ta2Se3 monolayer. For this system, stable layered bulk phase exists, and exfoliation should be possible. Ta2Se3 monolayer is demonstrated to support two Dirac points close to the Fermi level, achieving the exotic 2D double Dirac semimetal. And like 2D single Dirac and 2D node-line semimetals, spin-orbit coupling could introduce an insulating state in this new class of 2D Dirac semimetals. Moreover, the Dirac feature in this system is layer-dependent and a metal-to-insulator transition is identified in Ta2Se3 whe…
Antiferromagnets exhibit distinctive characteristics such as ultrafast dynamics and robustness against perturbative fields, thereby attracting considerable interest in fundamental physics and technological applications. Recently, it was revealed that the Néel vector can be switched by a current-induced staggered (Néel) spin-orbit torque in antiferromagnets with the parity-time symmetry, and furthermore, a nonsymmorphic symmetry enables the control of Dirac fermions. However, the real-time dynamics of the magnetic and electronic structures remain largely unexplored. Here, we propose a theory of…
Three-dimensional (3D) Dirac semimetals are new quantum materials and can be viewed as 3D analogues of graphene. Many fascinating electronic properties have been proposed and realized in 3D Dirac semimetals, which demonstrates their potential applications in next generation quantum devices. Bismuth-antimony Bi1-xSbx can be tuned from a topological insulator to a band insulator through a quantum critical point at x ~ 4%, where 3D Dirac fermions appear. Here, we report on a magnetotransport study of Bi1-xSbx at such a quantum critical point. An unusual magnetic-field induced semimetal-semiconduc…
Topology and strong electron correlations are crucial ingredients in emerging quantum materials, yet their intersection in experimental systems has been relatively limited to date. Strongly correlated Weyl semimetals, particularly when magnetism is incorporated, offer a unique and fertile platform to explore emergent phenomena in novel topological matter and topological spintronics. The antiferromagnetic Weyl semimetal Mn3Sn exhibits many exotic physical properties such as a large spontaneous Hall effect and has recently attracted intense interest. In this work, we report synthesis of epitaxia…
Recently, the Dirac and Weyl semimetals have attracted extensive attention in condensed matter physics due to both the fundamental interest and the potential application of a new generation of electronic devices. Here we review the exotic electrical transport phenomena in Dirac and Weyl semimetals. Section 1 is a brief introduction to the topological semimetals (TSMs). In Section 2 and Section 3, the intriguing transport phenomena in Dirac semimetals (DSMs) and Weyl semimetals (WSMs) are reviewed, respectively. The most widely studied Cd3As2 and the TaAs family are selected as representatives …
We present a prediction of the Dirac semimetal (DSM) phase in MgTa2N3 based on first-principles calculations and symmetry analysis. In this material, the Fermi level is located exactly at the Dirac point without additional Fermi surface pockets. The band inversion associated with the Dirac cone involves the d orbitals of two structurally inequivalent Ta atoms with octahedral and trigonal prismatic coordination spheres. We further show that the lattice symmetry breaking can realize topological phase transitions from the DSM phase to a triple nodal point semimetal, Weyl semimetal or topological …
Topological Dirac semimetals are a class of semimetals that host symmetry-protected Dirac points near the Fermi level, which arise due to a band inversion of the conduction and valence bands. In this work, we study the less explored class of \emph{noncentrosymmetric} topological Dirac semimetals in three dimensions. We identify the noncentrosymmetric crystallographic point groups required to stabilize fourfold degenerate band crossings and derive model Hamiltonians for all distinct types of band inversions allowed by symmetry. Using these model Hamiltonians, which emphasize the physical nature…
Three-dimensional topological Dirac semimetals have hitherto stimulated unprecedented research interests as a new class of quantum materials. Breaking certain types of symmetries has been proposed to enable the manipulation of Dirac fermions; and that was soon realized by external modulations such as magnetic fields. However, an intrinsic manipulation of Dirac states, which is more efficient and desirable, remains a significant challenge. Here, we report a systematic study of quasi-particle dynamics and band evolution in Cd3As2 thin films with controlled Chromium (Cr) doping by both magneto-in…
We investigate dissipationless magneto-Seebeck effect in three-dimensional Dirac/Weyl semimetal. The Hall resistivity $ρ_{yx}$ and thermoelectric Hall coefficient $α_{xy}$ exhibit plateaus at the quantum limit, where electrons occupy only the zeroth Landau level. In this condition, quantum oscillation in the Seebeck coefficient $S_{xx}\approx ρ_{yx}α_{xy} $ is suppressed, and the massless fermions are transformed into a Fermi liquid system. We show that the Seebeck coefficient at the quantum limit is expressed by the harmonic sum of Fermi wavelength and thermal de Broglie wavelength scaled by …
Based on first-principles calculations and symmetry analysis, we propose that a transition metal rutile oxide, in particular $β'$-PtO$_2$, can host a three-dimensional topological Dirac semimetal phase. We find that $β'$-PtO$_2$ possesses a linked nodal rings structure when spin-orbit coupling is neglected. Incorporating spin-orbit coupling gaps the nodal rings, while preserving a single pair of three-dimensional Dirac points protected by a screw rotation symmetry. This Dirac point is created by a band inversion of two $d$ bands, which is a realization of a DSM phase in correlated electron sys…
The Weyl semimetal requires the breaking of either the time-reversal symmetry (TRS) or the lattice inversion symmetry. When the TRS and inversion symmetry coexist, a pair of degenerate Weyl points may exist, leading to the related Dirac semimetal phase. In other words, a Dirac semimetallic state can be regarded as two copies of Weyl semimetal states. In this dissertation, we study tellurium based compounds like the Weyl semimetal candidate MoTe2 and the Dirac semimetal candidate PtTe2 within the transition metal dichalcogenides family.
Recently, the crystal symmetry-protected topological semimetals have aroused extensive interests, especially for the nonsymmorphic symmetry-protected one. We list the possible nonmagnetic topological semimetals and develop their k.p Hamiltonian in all layer groups with multiple screw axes in the absence of spin-orbital coupling. We find a novel cat's cradle-like topological semimetal phase, which looks like multiple hourglass-like band structures staggered together. Furthermore, we propose the monolayer borophene and borophane with pmmn layer group as the first material class to realize such n…
Based on first-principles calculations, we find that LiZnBi, a metallic hexagonal $ABC$ compound, can be driven into a Dirac semimetal with a pair of Dirac points by strain. The nontrivial topological nature of the strained LiZnBi is directly demonstrated by calculating its $\mathbb{Z}_2$ index and the surface states, where the Fermi arcs are clearly observed. The low-energy states as well as topological properties are shown to be sensitive to the strain configurations. The finding of Dirac semimetal phase in LiZnBi may intrigue further researches on the topological properties of hexagonal $AB…
The notion of topological phases has been extended to higher-order and has been generalized to different dimensions. As a paradigm, Cd3As2 is predicted to be a higher-order topological semimetal, possessing three-dimensional (3D) bulk Dirac fermions, two-dimensional (2D) Fermi arcs, and one-dimensional (1D) hinge states. These topological states have different characteristic length scales in electronic transport, allowing to distinguish their properties when changing sample size. Here, we report an anomalous dimensional reduction of supercurrent transport by increasing the size of Dirac semime…
