A hybrid topological quantum state in an elemental solid

Md Shafayat Hossain (), Frank Schindler (), Rajibul Islam, Zahir Muhammad, Yu-Xiao Jiang, Zi-Jia Cheng, Qi Zhang, Tao Hou, Hongyu Chen, Maksim Litskevich, Brian Casas, Jia-Xin Yin, Tyler A. Cochran, Mohammad Yahyavi, Xian P. Yang, Luis Balicas, Guoqing Chang, Weisheng Zhao, Titus Neupert and M. Zahid Hasan ()
Additional contact information
Md Shafayat Hossain: Princeton University
Frank Schindler: Imperial College London
Rajibul Islam: Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences
Zahir Muhammad: Beihang University
Yu-Xiao Jiang: Princeton University
Zi-Jia Cheng: Princeton University
Qi Zhang: Princeton University
Tao Hou: Nanyang Technological University
Hongyu Chen: Nanyang Technological University
Maksim Litskevich: Princeton University
Brian Casas: National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, and Physics Department, Florida State University
Jia-Xin Yin: Princeton University
Tyler A. Cochran: Princeton University
Mohammad Yahyavi: Nanyang Technological University
Xian P. Yang: Princeton University
Luis Balicas: National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, and Physics Department, Florida State University
Guoqing Chang: Nanyang Technological University
Weisheng Zhao: Beihang University
Titus Neupert: University of Zurich
M. Zahid Hasan: Princeton University

Nature, 2024, vol. 628, issue 8008, 527-533

Abstract: Abstract Topology1–3 and interactions are foundational concepts in the modern understanding of quantum matter. Their nexus yields three important research directions: (1) the competition between distinct interactions, as in several intertwined phases, (2) the interplay between interactions and topology that drives the phenomena in twisted layered materials and topological magnets, and (3) the coalescence of several topological orders to generate distinct novel phases. The first two examples have grown into major areas of research, although the last example remains mostly unexplored, mainly because of the lack of a material platform for experimental studies. Here, using tunnelling microscopy, photoemission spectroscopy and a theoretical analysis, we unveil a ‘hybrid’ topological phase of matter in the simple elemental-solid arsenic. Through a unique bulk-surface-edge correspondence, we uncover that arsenic features a conjoined strong and higher-order topology that stabilizes a hybrid topological phase. Although momentum-space spectroscopy measurements show signs of topological surface states, real-space microscopy measurements unravel a unique geometry of topologically induced step-edge conduction channels revealed on various natural nanostructures on the surface. Using theoretical models, we show that the existence of gapless step-edge states in arsenic relies on the simultaneous presence of both a non-trivial strong Z2 invariant and a non-trivial higher-order topological invariant, which provide experimental evidence for hybrid topology. Our study highlights pathways for exploring the interplay of different band topologies and harnessing the associated topological conduction channels in engineered quantum or nano-devices.

Date: 2024
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07203-8 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:nature:v:628:y:2024:i:8008:d:10.1038_s41586-024-07203-8

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07203-8

Access Statistics for this article

Nature is currently edited by Magdalena Skipper

More articles in Nature from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().