The PdGa Weyl semimetal is a fascinating material that has garnered significant attention in the scientific community due to its unique electronic properties. Weyl semimetals are a class of materials that exhibit a topological phase of matter, characterized by the presence of Weyl fermions, which are massless, chiral particles that can be thought of as the analog of photons in the electronic system. The PdGa Weyl semimetal, in particular, has been found to exhibit a range of intriguing properties, including a large, nonsaturating magnetoresistance and a high carrier mobility.
Electronic Structure of PdGa Weyl Semimetal
The electronic structure of PdGa is characterized by a complex interplay between the palladium (Pd) and gallium (Ga) atoms. The material crystallizes in a noncentrosymmetric crystal structure, which leads to a lifting of the spin degeneracy and the formation of Weyl nodes. These Weyl nodes are points in the Brillouin zone where the conduction and valence bands touch, giving rise to a linear dispersion relation and a high density of states. The ab initio calculations have revealed that the PdGa Weyl semimetal has a total of four Weyl nodes, which are located at the Fermi level and are responsible for the material’s unique electronic properties.
Experimental Realization of PdGa Weyl Semimetal
The PdGa Weyl semimetal was first synthesized in 2019 using a high-temperature flux growth method. The resulting crystals were found to exhibit a range of interesting properties, including a large, nonsaturating magnetoresistance and a high carrier mobility. The magnetoresistance, in particular, was found to be highly anisotropic, with a large increase in resistance observed for magnetic fields applied perpendicular to the crystal’s c-axis. This anisotropy is thought to arise from the material’s unique electronic structure, which is characterized by a strong spin-orbit coupling and a large g-factor.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Crystal structure | Noncentrosymmetric |
| Weyl nodes | 4 |
| Magnetoresistance | Large, nonsaturating |
| Carrier mobility | High |
Transport Properties of PdGa Weyl Semimetal
The transport properties of PdGa have been found to be highly unusual, with a range of interesting phenomena observed in the material’s electrical and thermal conductivity. The electrical conductivity, in particular, has been found to exhibit a strong dependence on the magnetic field, with a large increase in conductivity observed for fields applied perpendicular to the crystal’s c-axis. This dependence is thought to arise from the material’s unique electronic structure, which is characterized by a strong spin-orbit coupling and a large g-factor.
Quantum Oscillations in PdGa Weyl Semimetal
The PdGa Weyl semimetal has been found to exhibit a range of quantum oscillations, including Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations and de Haas-van Alphen oscillations. These oscillations are thought to arise from the material’s unique electronic structure, which is characterized by a complex interplay between the palladium and gallium atoms. The Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations, in particular, have been found to exhibit a strong dependence on the magnetic field, with a large increase in amplitude observed for fields applied perpendicular to the crystal’s c-axis.
- Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations: observed in the material's electrical conductivity
- de Haas-van Alphen oscillations: observed in the material's magnetic susceptibility
- Quantum Hall effect: observed in the material's electrical conductivity at high magnetic fields
What is the crystal structure of PdGa Weyl semimetal?
+The PdGa Weyl semimetal crystallizes in a noncentrosymmetric crystal structure, which leads to a lifting of the spin degeneracy and the formation of Weyl nodes.
What are the transport properties of PdGa Weyl semimetal?
+The transport properties of PdGa have been found to be highly unusual, with a range of interesting phenomena observed in the material’s electrical and thermal conductivity.
