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Register a new userSignature of an Ultrafast Photo-Induced Lifshitz Transition in the Nodal-Line Semimetal ZrSiTe
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Here we report an ultrafast optical spectroscopic study of the nodal-line semimetal ZrSiTe. Our measurements reveal that, converse to other compounds of the family, the sudden injection of electronic excitations results in a strongly coherent response of an $A_{1g}$ phonon mode which dynamically modifies the distance between Zr and Te atoms and Si layers. Frozen phonon DFT calculations, in which band structures are calculated as a function of nuclear position along the phonon mode coordinate, show that large displacements along this mode alter the materials electronic structure significantly, forcing bands to approach and even cross the Fermi energy. The incoherent part of the time domain response reveals that a delayed electronic response at low fluence discontinuously evolves into an instantaneous one for excitation densities larger than $3.43 times 10^{17}$ cm$^{-3}$. This sudden change of the dissipative channels for electronic excitations is indicative of an ultrafast Lifshitz transition which we tentatively associate to a change in topology of the Fermi surface driven by a symmetry preserving $A_{1g}$ phonon mode.
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The layered material ZrSiTe is currently extensively investigated as a nodal-line semimetal with Dirac-like band crossings protected by nonsymmorphic symmetry close to the Fermi energy. A recent infrared spectroscopy study on ZrSiTe under external pressure found anomalies in the optical response, providing hints for pressure-induced phase transitions at $approx$4.1 and $approx$6.5 GPa. By pressure-dependent Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction measurements combined with electronic band structure calculations we find indications for two pressure-induced Lifshitz transitions with major changes in the Fermi surface topology in the absence of lattice symmetry changes. These electronic phase transitions can be attributed to the enhanced interlayer interaction induced by external pressure. Our findings demonstrate the crucial role of the interlayer distance for the electronic properties of layered van der Waals topological materials.
We have applied nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study the distinctive network of nodal lines in the Dirac semimetal ZrSiTe. The low-$T$ behavior is dominated by a symmetry-protected nodal line, with NMR providing a sensitive probe of the diamagnetic response of the associated carriers. A sharp low-$T$ minimum in NMR shift and $(T_1T)^{-1}$ provides a quantitative measure of the dispersionless, quasi-2D behavior of this nodal line. We also identify a van Hove singularity closely connected to this nodal line, and an associated $T$-induced Lifshitz transition. A disconnect in the NMR shift and line width at this temperature indicates the change in electronic behavior associated with this topological change. These features have an orientation-dependent behavior indicating a field-dependent scaling of the associated band energies.
Topological electrons in semimetals are usually vulnerable to chemical doping and environment change, which restricts their potential application in future electronic devices. In this paper we report that the type-II Dirac semimetal $mathbf{VAl_3}$ hosts exceptional, robust topological electrons which can tolerate extreme change of chemical composition. The Dirac electrons remain intact even after a substantial part of V atoms have been replaced in the $mathbf{V_{1-x}Ti_xAl_3}$ solid solutions. This Dirac semimetal state ends at $x=0.35$ where a Lifshitz transition to $p$-type trivial metal occurs. The V-Al bond is completely broken in this transition as long as the bonding orbitals are fully depopulated by the holes donated from Ti substitution. In other words, the Dirac electrons in $mathbf{VAl_3}$ are protected by the V-Al bond whose molecular orbital is their bonding gravity center. Our understanding on the interrelations among electron count, chemical bond and electronic properties in topological semimetals suggests a rational approach to search robust, chemical-bond-protected topological materials.
Complex systems, which consist of a large number of interacting constituents, often exhibit universal behavior near a phase transition. A slowdown of certain dynamical observables is one such recurring feature found in a vast array of contexts. This phenomenon, known as critical slowing down, is well studied mostly in thermodynamic phase transitions. However, it is less understood in highly nonequilibrium settings, where the time it takes to traverse the phase boundary becomes comparable to the timescale of dynamical fluctuations. Using transient optical spectroscopy and femtosecond electron diffraction, we studied a photo-induced transition of a model charge-density-wave (CDW) compound, LaTe$_3$. We observed that it takes the longest time to suppress the order parameter at the threshold photoexcitation density, where the CDW transiently vanishes. This finding can be quantitatively captured by generalizing the time-dependent Landau theory to a system far from equilibrium. The experimental observation and theoretical understanding of dynamical slowing down may offer insight into other general principles behind nonequilibrium phase transitions in many-body systems.
We report the electronic properties of single crystals of candidate nodal-line semimetal CaAgP. The transport properties of CaAgP are understood within the framework of a hole-doped nodal-line semimetal. In contrast, Pd-doped CaAgP shows a drastic increase of magnetoresistance at low magnetic fields and a strong decrease of electrical resistivity at low temperatures probably due to weak antilocalization. Hall conductivity data indicated that the Pd-doped CaAgP has not only hole carriers induced by the Pd doping, but also high-mobility electron carriers in proximity of the Dirac point. Electrical resistivity of Pd-doped CaAgP also showed a superconducting transition with onset temperature of 1.7-1.8 K.
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