Topological Lifshitz transitions and Fermi arc manipulation in Weyl semimetal NbAs

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 3478 - 7
• Main Authors: Yang, H. F., Yang, L. X., Liu, Z. K., Sun, Y., Chen, C., Peng, H., Schmidt, M., Prabhakaran, D., Bernevig, B. A., Felser, C., Yan, B. H., Chen, Y. L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 02.08.2019; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 639/766/119/2792/4128; 639/766/119/2795; 639/766/119/995; Brillouin zones; Carrier density; Chirality; CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; Electromagnetic radiation; Electromagnetic wave transmission; Evolution; Humanities and Social Sciences; Magnetic effects; MATERIALS SCIENCE; Metalloids; multidisciplinary; Oscillations; Phase transitions; PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; Quantum Hall effect; Science; Science & Technology; Science (multidisciplinary); Topology
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11491-4

Surface Fermi arcs (SFAs), the unique open Fermi-surfaces (FSs) discovered recently in topological Weyl semimetals (TWSs), are unlike closed FSs in conventional materials and can give rise to many exotic phenomena, such as anomalous SFA-mediated quantum oscillations, chiral magnetic effects, three-dimensional quantum Hall effect, non-local voltage generation and anomalous electromagnetic wave transmission. Here, by using in-situ surface decoration, we demonstrate successful manipulation of the shape, size and even the connections of SFAs in a model TWS, NbAs, and observe their evolution that leads to an unusual topological Lifshitz transition not caused by the change of the carrier concentration. The phase transition teleports the SFAs between different parts of the surface Brillouin zone. Despite the dramatic surface evolution, the existence of SFAs is robust and each SFA remains tied to a pair of Weyl points of opposite chirality, as dictated by the bulk topology. Surface Fermi arcs (SFAs) are characteristic features of a topological Weyl semimetal but there is no easy way to manipulate them so far. Here, the authors report manipulation of the shape, size and connections of SFAs in a Weyl semimetal NbAs, leading to an unusual topological Lifshitz transition.