TY - JOUR
T1 - A hybrid topological quantum state in an elemental solid
AU - Hossain, Md Shafayat
AU - Schindler, Frank
AU - Islam, Rajibul
AU - Muhammad, Zahir
AU - Jiang, Yu Xiao
AU - Cheng, Zi Jia
AU - Zhang, Qi
AU - Hou, Tao
AU - Chen, Hongyu
AU - Litskevich, Maksim
AU - Casas, Brian
AU - Yin, Jia Xin
AU - Cochran, Tyler A.
AU - Yahyavi, Mohammad
AU - Yang, Xian P.
AU - Balicas, Luis
AU - Chang, Guoqing
AU - Zhao, Weisheng
AU - Neupert, Titus
AU - Hasan, M. Zahid
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited 2024.
PY - 2024/4/18
Y1 - 2024/4/18
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
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U2 - 10.1038/s41586-024-07203-8
DO - 10.1038/s41586-024-07203-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 38600389
AN - SCOPUS:85189961595
SN - 0028-0836
VL - 628
SP - 527
EP - 533
JO - Nature
JF - Nature
IS - 8008
ER -