Robust weak antilocalization due to spin-orbital entanglement in Dirac material Sr3SnO

H. Nakamura (), D. Huang, J. Merz, E. Khalaf, P. Ostrovsky, A. Yaresko, D. Samal and H. Takagi
Additional contact information
H. Nakamura: Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research
D. Huang: Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research
J. Merz: Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research
E. Khalaf: Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research
P. Ostrovsky: Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research
A. Yaresko: Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research
D. Samal: Institute of Physics
H. Takagi: Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract The presence of both inversion (P) and time-reversal (T) symmetries in solids leads to a double degeneracy of the electronic bands (Kramers degeneracy). By lifting the degeneracy, spin textures manifest themselves in momentum space, as in topological insulators or in strong Rashba materials. The existence of spin textures with Kramers degeneracy, however, is difficult to observe directly. Here, we use quantum interference measurements to provide evidence for the existence of hidden entanglement between spin and momentum in the antiperovskite-type Dirac material Sr3SnO. We find robust weak antilocalization (WAL) independent of the position of EF. The observed WAL is fitted using a single interference channel at low doping, which implies that the different Dirac valleys are mixed by disorder. Notably, this mixing does not suppress WAL, suggesting contrasting interference physics compared to graphene. We identify scattering among axially spin-momentum locked states as a key process that leads to a spin-orbital entanglement.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14900-1

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