2021/01/02 by Feng Zhou, Ying Liu, Jianhua Wang +5 · 23 citations
Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Boron and Carbon Nanomaterials Research #NODAL #Nanoindentation #Rare-earth and actinide compounds #Superconductivity #Superconductivity in MgB2 and Alloys #Surface (topology) #Surface states #Topology (electrical circuits) #cond-mat.mtrl-sci
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevmaterials.5.074201
published in Physical Review Materials 5(7) (American Physical Society) · 6 page, 8 figures
arxiv created 2021/01/02 · openalex created_date 2021/01/18 · openalex publication_date 2021/07/29 · arxiv updated 2021/08/04 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Novel materials with both topological nontrivial states and superconductivity have attracted considerable attention in recent years. Single-crystal FeB4 was recently synthesized and demonstrated to exhibit superconductivity at temperatures lower than 2.9 K, and its nanoindentation hardness was measured to be 65 GPa. In this study, based on first-principles calculations and the low-energy \mathbitk\ifmmode⋅\else\textperiodcentered\fi\mathbitp effective Hamiltonian, we found that this Pnnm-type superhard FeB4 superconductor hosts topological behaviors with intersecting nodal rings (INRs) in the kx=0 and kz=0 planes and nodal wall states in the ky=\ensuremathπ and kz=\ensuremathπ planes. The observed surface drum-head-like (D-H-L) states on the [100] and [001] surfaces confirmed the presence of INR states in this system. According to our investigation results, FeB4, with its superconductivity, superior mechanical behaviors, one-dimensional and two-dimensional topological elements, and D-H-L surface states, is an existing single-phase target material that can be used to realize the topological superconducting state in the near future.