Magnetism-induced topological transition in EuAs
- Journal:
- Nature Communications
- Published:
- DOI:
- 10.1038/s41467-021-26482-7
- Affiliations:
- 15
- Authors:
- 19
Research Highlight
Magnetism induces transition to a topological material
© Adrienne Bresnahan/Moment/Getty Images
Physicists have discovered a material that shows promise in helping understand how magnetism interacts with topology — a mathematical property that ensures that the surface states of a material remain stable even when the material is deformed.
A few semi-metals — materials that simultaneously have metallic and non-metallic properties — are both magnetic and topological in nature. But little is known about how their magnetism and topology interact. Material scientists are keen to explore this interaction, because it could lead to interesting physics in these systems.
Now, a team led by researchers from ShanghaiTech University in China has mathematically and experimentally explored a topological transition in the magnetic semi-metal EuAs3.
They found this transition can be induced by magnetism, either from an external field or the magnetism inherent in the material.
The researchers consider that this semimetal is an ideal platform for exploring the strange physics that may occur through magnetism interacting with topology.
References
- Nature Communications 12, 6970 (2021). doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-26482-7