Thermodynamic Signatures of Weyl Fermions in NbP
Abstract
We present a high magnetic field study of NbP—a member of the monopnictide Weyl semimetal (WSM) family. While the monoarsenides (NbAs and TaAs) have topologically distinct left and right-handed Weyl fermi surfaces, NbP is argued to be “topologically trivial” due to the fact that all pairs of Weyl nodes are encompassed by a single Fermi surface. We use torque magnetometry to measure the magnetic response of NbP up to 60 tesla and uncover a Berry paramagnetic response, characteristic of the topological Weyl nodes, across the entire field range. At the quantum limit B* (≈32 T), τ/B experiences a change in slope when the chemical potential enters the last Landau level. Our calculations confirm that this magnetic response arises from band topology of the Weyl pocket, even though the Fermi surface encompasses both Weyl nodes at zero magnetic field. We also find that the magnetic field pulls the chemical potential to the chiral n = 0 Landau level in the quantum limit, providing a disorder-free way of accessing chiral Weyl fermions in systems that are “not quite” WSMs in zero magnetic field.
- Authors:
-
- Max-Planck-Inst. for Chemical Physics of Solids, Dresden (Germany)
- Technische Univ., Dresden (Germany)
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; National Science Foundation (NSF); German Research Foundation (DFG); European Research Council (ERC)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1768515
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-18-29179
Journal ID: ISSN 2045-2322
- Grant/Contract Number:
- 89233218CNA000001; LDRD 20160616ECR; 1752784; GRK 1621; SFB 1143; 715730
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Scientific Reports
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 9; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2045-2322
- Publisher:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; material science; NbP; torque; quantum limit; Weyl semimetal; electronic properties and materials; topological matter
Citation Formats
Modic, K. A., Meng, Tobias, Ronning, Filip, Bauer, Eric D., Moll, Philip W., and Ramshaw, B. J. Thermodynamic Signatures of Weyl Fermions in NbP. United States: N. p., 2019.
Web. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-38161-7.
Modic, K. A., Meng, Tobias, Ronning, Filip, Bauer, Eric D., Moll, Philip W., & Ramshaw, B. J. Thermodynamic Signatures of Weyl Fermions in NbP. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-38161-7
Modic, K. A., Meng, Tobias, Ronning, Filip, Bauer, Eric D., Moll, Philip W., and Ramshaw, B. J. Thu .
"Thermodynamic Signatures of Weyl Fermions in NbP". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-38161-7. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1768515.
@article{osti_1768515,
title = {Thermodynamic Signatures of Weyl Fermions in NbP},
author = {Modic, K. A. and Meng, Tobias and Ronning, Filip and Bauer, Eric D. and Moll, Philip W. and Ramshaw, B. J.},
abstractNote = {We present a high magnetic field study of NbP—a member of the monopnictide Weyl semimetal (WSM) family. While the monoarsenides (NbAs and TaAs) have topologically distinct left and right-handed Weyl fermi surfaces, NbP is argued to be “topologically trivial” due to the fact that all pairs of Weyl nodes are encompassed by a single Fermi surface. We use torque magnetometry to measure the magnetic response of NbP up to 60 tesla and uncover a Berry paramagnetic response, characteristic of the topological Weyl nodes, across the entire field range. At the quantum limit B* (≈32 T), τ/B experiences a change in slope when the chemical potential enters the last Landau level. Our calculations confirm that this magnetic response arises from band topology of the Weyl pocket, even though the Fermi surface encompasses both Weyl nodes at zero magnetic field. We also find that the magnetic field pulls the chemical potential to the chiral n = 0 Landau level in the quantum limit, providing a disorder-free way of accessing chiral Weyl fermions in systems that are “not quite” WSMs in zero magnetic field.},
doi = {10.1038/s41598-018-38161-7},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
number = 1,
volume = 9,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Feb 14 00:00:00 EST 2019},
month = {Thu Feb 14 00:00:00 EST 2019}
}
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