Observation of Dirac state in half-Heusler material YPtBi
Abstract
The prediction of non-trivial topological electronic states in half-Heusler compounds makes these materials good candidates for discovering new physics and devices as half-Heusler phases harbour a variety of electronic ground states, including superconductivity, antiferromagnetism, and heavy-fermion behaviour. Here, we report a systematic studies of electronic properties of a superconducting half-Heusler compound YPtBi, in its normal state, investigated using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our data reveal the presence of a Dirac state at the $$\Gamma$$Γ point of the Brillouin zone at 500 meV below the Fermi level. We observe the presence of multiple Fermi surface pockets, including two concentric hexagonal and six half-oval shaped pockets at the $$\Gamma$$Γ and K points of the Brillouin zone, respectively. Furthermore, our measurements show Rashba-split bands and multiple surface states crossing the Fermi level, this is also supported by the first-principles calculations. Our findings of a Dirac state in YPtBi contribute to the establishing of half-Heusler compounds as a potential platform for novel topological phases.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Jul 23, 2020
- Source ID
- 10.1038/s41598-020-69284-5
Entities
People
- Christopher Sims
- Dariusz Kaczorowski
- Firoza Kabir
- Gyanendra Dhakal
- Hongchul Choi
- Jian-xin Zhu
- Klauss Dimitri
- M. Mofazzel Hosen
- Madhab Neupane
- Orest Pavlosiuk
- Piotr Wiśniewski
- Tomasz Durakiewicz
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- National Science Centre Poland
- National Science Foundation
- United States Department of Energy