TY - JOUR
T1 - Topological Semimetals in the SnTe Material Class
T2 - Nodal Lines and Weyl Points
AU - Lau, Alexander
AU - Ortix, Carmine
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - We theoretically show that IV-VI semiconducting compounds with lowerature rhombohedral crystal structure represent a new potential platform for topological semimetals. By means of minimal k·p models, we find that the two-step structural symmetry reduction of the higherature rocksalt crystal structure, comprising a rhombohedral distortion along the [111] direction followed by a relative shift of the cation and anion sublattices, gives rise to topologically protected Weyl semimetal and nodal line semimetal phases. We derive general expressions for the nodal features and apply our results to SnTe, showing explicitly how Weyl points and nodal lines emerge in this system. Experimentally, the topological semimetals could potentially be realized in the lowerature ferroelectric phase of SnTe, GeTe, and related alloys.
AB - We theoretically show that IV-VI semiconducting compounds with lowerature rhombohedral crystal structure represent a new potential platform for topological semimetals. By means of minimal k·p models, we find that the two-step structural symmetry reduction of the higherature rocksalt crystal structure, comprising a rhombohedral distortion along the [111] direction followed by a relative shift of the cation and anion sublattices, gives rise to topologically protected Weyl semimetal and nodal line semimetal phases. We derive general expressions for the nodal features and apply our results to SnTe, showing explicitly how Weyl points and nodal lines emerge in this system. Experimentally, the topological semimetals could potentially be realized in the lowerature ferroelectric phase of SnTe, GeTe, and related alloys.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85065786108&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.186801
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.186801
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85065786108
SN - 0031-9007
VL - 122
JO - Physical Review Letters
JF - Physical Review Letters
IS - 18
M1 - 186801
ER -