Signatures of a time-reversal symmetric Weyl semimetal with only four Weyl points

Ilya Belopolski, Peng Yu, Daniel S. Sanchez, Yukiaki Ishida, Tay Rong Chang, Songtian S. Zhang, Su Yang Xu, Hao Zheng, Guoqing Chang, Guang Bian, Horng Tay Jeng, Takeshi Kondo, Hsin Lin, Zheng Liu, Shik Shin, M. Zahid Hasan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

101 Scopus citations

Abstract

Through intense research on Weyl semimetals during the past few years, we have come to appreciate that typical Weyl semimetals host many Weyl points. Nonetheless, the minimum nonzero number of Weyl points allowed in a time-reversal invariant Weyl semimetal is four. Realizing such a system is of fundamental interest and may simplify transport experiments. Recently, it was predicted that TaIrTe4 realizes a minimal Weyl semimetal. However, the Weyl points and Fermi arcs live entirely above the Fermi level, making them inaccessible to conventional angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). Here, we use pump-probe ARPES to directly access the band structure above the Fermi level in TaIrTe4. We observe signatures of Weyl points and topological Fermi arcs. Combined with ab initio calculation, our results show that TaIrTe4 is a Weyl semimetal with the minimum number of four Weyl points. Our work provides a simpler platform for accessing exotic transport phenomena arising in Weyl semimetals.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number942
JournalNature communications
Volume8
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2017

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Chemistry
  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • General Physics and Astronomy

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