Evidence for one-dimensional chiral edge states in a magnetic Weyl semimetal Co3Sn2S2

Sean Howard, Lin Jiao, Zhenyu Wang, Noam Morali, Rajib Batabyal, Pranab Kumar-Nag, Nurit Avraham, Haim Beidenkopf (), Praveen Vir, Enke Liu, Chandra Shekhar, Claudia Felser, Taylor Hughes and Vidya Madhavan ()
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Sean Howard: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Lin Jiao: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Zhenyu Wang: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Noam Morali: Weizmann Institute of Science
Rajib Batabyal: Weizmann Institute of Science
Pranab Kumar-Nag: Weizmann Institute of Science
Nurit Avraham: Weizmann Institute of Science
Haim Beidenkopf: Weizmann Institute of Science
Praveen Vir: Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids
Enke Liu: Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids
Chandra Shekhar: Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids
Claudia Felser: Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids
Taylor Hughes: University of Illinois at, Urbana-Champaign
Vidya Madhavan: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract The physical realization of Chern insulators is of fundamental and practical interest, as they are predicted to host the quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect and topologically protected chiral edge states which can carry dissipationless current. Current realizations of the QAH state often require complex heterostructures and sub-Kelvin temperatures, making the discovery of intrinsic, high temperature QAH systems of significant interest. In this work we show that time-reversal symmetry breaking Weyl semimetals, being essentially stacks of Chern insulators with inter-layer coupling, may provide a new platform for the higher temperature realization of robust chiral edge states. We present combined scanning tunneling spectroscopy and theoretical investigations of the magnetic Weyl semimetal, Co3Sn2S2. Using modeling and numerical simulations we find that depending on the strength of the interlayer coupling, chiral edge states can be localized on partially exposed kagome planes on the surfaces of a Weyl semimetal. Correspondingly, our dI/dV maps on the kagome Co3Sn terraces show topological states confined to the edges which display linear dispersion. This work provides a new paradigm for realizing chiral edge modes and provides a pathway for the realization of higher temperature QAH effect in magnetic Weyl systems in the two-dimensional limit.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24561-3

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