Inherited weak topological insulator signatures in the topological hourglass semimetal Nb3XTe6 (X=Si, Ge)

2021/04/06 by Qiang Wan, Q. Wan, Tao Yang +32 · 18 citations
Chemistry · Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #2D Materials and Applications #Band gap #Chemistry #Condensed matter physics #Crystallography #Graphene research and applications #Physics #Point reflection #Quantum mechanics #Semimetal #Topological Materials and Phenomena #Topological insulator #Topology (electrical circuits) #Valence (chemistry) #cond-mat.mes-hall #cond-mat.mtrl-sci

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevb.103.165107

published in Physical review. B./Physical review. B 103(16) (American Physical Society) · 4 figures

openalex publication_date 2021/04/06 · openalex created_date 2021/04/13 · arxiv created 2021/04/15 · arxiv updated 2021/04/16 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

Using spin-resolved and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and first-principles calculations, we have identified bulk band inversion and the spin-polarized surface state evolved from a weak topological insulator (TI) phase in van der Waals materials Nb₃XTe₆ (X=Si, Ge). The fingerprints of weak TIs homologically emerge with hourglass fermions as multinodal chains composed by the same pair of valence and conduction bands gapped by spin-orbit coupling. The unique topological state, with a pair of valence and conduction bands encoding both weak TI and hourglass semimetal nature, is essential and guaranteed by nonsymmorphic symmetry. It is distinct from TIs studied previously based on band inversions without symmetry protections.

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