Unusual interlayer quantum transport behavior caused by the zeroth Landau level in YbMnBi2

Relativistic fermions in topological quantum materials are characterized by linear energy-momentum dispersion near band crossing points. Under magnetic fields, relativistic fermions acquire Berry phase of π in cyclotron motion, leading to a zeroth Landau level (LL) at the crossing point, a signature unique to relativistic fermions. Here we report the unusual interlayer quantum transport behavior resulting from the zeroth LL mode observed in the time reversal symmetry breaking type II Weyl semimetal YbMnBi2. The interlayer magnetoresistivity and Hall conductivity of this material are found to exhibit surprising angular dependences under high fields, which can be well fitted by a model, which considers the interlayer quantum tunneling transport of the zeroth LL's Weyl fermions. Our results shed light on the unusual role of zeroth LLl mode in transport.The transport behavior of the carriers residing in the lowest Landau level is hard to observe in most topological materials. Here, Liu et al. report a surprising angular dependence of the interlayer magnetoresistivity and Hall conductivity arising from the lowest Landau level under high magnetic field in type II Weyl semimetal YbMnBi2.

A magnetic topological semimetal Sr1-yMn1-zSb2 (y, z < 0.1)

Weyl (WSMs) evolve from Dirac semimetals in the presence of broken time-reversal symmetry (TRS) or space-inversion symmetry. The WSM phases in TaAs-class materials and photonic crystals are due to the loss of space-inversion symmetry. For TRS-breaking WSMs, despite numerous theoretical and experimental efforts, few examples have been reported. In this Article, we report a new type of magnetic semimetal Sr_1-yMn_1-zSb₂ (y, z < 0.1) with nearly massless relativistic fermion behaviour (m^∗ =  0.04 - 0.05m₀, where m₀ is the free-electron mass). This material exhibits a ferromagnetic order for 304 K  <  T  <  565 K, but a canted antiferromagnetic order with a ferromagnetic component for T  <  304 K. The combination of relativistic fermion behaviour and ferromagnetism in Sr_1-yMn_1-zSb₂ offers a rare opportunity to investigate the interplay between relativistic fermions and spontaneous TRS breaking.

Nearly massless Dirac fermions hosted by Sb square net in BaMnSb2

Layered compounds AMnBi2 (A = Ca, Sr, Ba, or rare earth element) have been established as Dirac materials. Dirac electrons generated by the two-dimensional (2D) Bi square net in these materials are normally massive due to the presence of a spin-orbital coupling (SOC) induced gap at Dirac nodes. Here we report that the Sb square net in an isostructural compound BaMnSb2 can host nearly massless Dirac fermions. We observed strong Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations in this material. From the analyses of the SdH oscillations, we find key signatures of Dirac fermions, including light effective mass (~0.052m0; m0, mass of free electron), high quantum mobility (1280 cm(2)V(-1)S(-1)) and a π Berry phase accumulated along cyclotron orbit. Compared with AMnBi2, BaMnSb2 also exhibits much more significant quasi two-dimensional (2D) electronic structure, with the out-of-plane transport showing nonmetallic conduction below 120 K and the ratio of the out-of-plane and in-plane resistivity reaching ~670. Additionally, BaMnSb2 also exhibits a G-type antiferromagnetic order below 283 K. The combination of nearly massless Dirac fermions on quasi-2D planes with a magnetic order makes BaMnSb2 an intriguing platform for seeking novel exotic phenomena of massless Dirac electrons.

π Berry phase and Zeeman splitting of Weyl semimetal TaP

The recent breakthrough in the discovery of Weyl fermions in monopnictide semimetals provides opportunities to explore the exotic properties of relativistic fermions in condensed matter. The chiral anomaly-induced negative magnetoresistance and π Berry phase are two fundamental transport properties associated with the topological characteristics of Weyl semimetals. Since monopnictide semimetals are multiple-band systems, resolving clear Berry phase for each Fermi pocket remains a challenge. Here we report the determination of Berry phases of multiple Fermi pockets of Weyl semimetal TaP through high field quantum transport measurements. We show our TaP single crystal has the signatures of a Weyl state, including light effective quasiparticle masses, ultrahigh carrier mobility, as well as negative longitudinal magnetoresistance. Furthermore, we have generalized the Lifshitz-Kosevich formula for multiple-band Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations and extracted the Berry phases of π for multiple Fermi pockets in TaP through the direct fits of the modified LK formula to the SdH oscillations. In high fields, we also probed signatures of Zeeman splitting, from which the Landé g-factor is extracted.