Direct Measurement of Helicoid Surface States in RhSi Using Nonlinear Optics

Rees D, Lu B, Sun Y, Manna K, Oezguer R, Subedi S, Borrmann H, Felser C, Orenstein J, Torchinsky DH (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Physical Review Letters American Physical Society

Book Volume: 127

Article Number: 157405

Journal Issue: 15

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.157405

Abstract

Despite the fundamental nature of the edge state in topological physics, direct measurement of electronic and optical properties of the Fermi arcs of topological semimetals has posed a significant experimental challenge, as their response is often overwhelmed by the metallic bulk. However, laser-driven currents carried by surface and bulk states can propagate in different directions in nonsymmorphic crystals, allowing for the two components to be easily separated. Motivated by a recent theoretical prediction G. Chang, Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 166404 (2020)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.124.166404, we have measured the linear and circular photogalvanic effect currents deriving from the Fermi arcs of the nonsymmorphic, chiral Weyl semimetal RhSi over the 0.45-1.1 eV incident photon energy range. Our data are in good agreement with the predicted spectral shape of the circular photogalvanic effect as a function of photon energy, although the direction of the surface photocurrent departed from the theoretical expectation over the energy range studied. Surface currents arising from the linear photogalvanic effect were observed as well, with the unexpected result that only two of the six allowed tensor element were required to describe the measurements, suggesting an approximate emergent mirror symmetry inconsistent with the space group of the crystal.

Involved external institutions

University of California, Berkeley US United States (USA) (US) Temple University US United States (USA) (US) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) US United States (USA) (US) Max-Planck-Institut für Chemische Physik fester Stoffe (MPI CPfS) / Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Rees, D., Lu, B., Sun, Y., Manna, K., Oezguer, R., Subedi, S.,... Torchinsky, D.H. (2021). Direct Measurement of Helicoid Surface States in RhSi Using Nonlinear Optics. Physical Review Letters, 127(15). https://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.157405

MLA:

Rees, Dylan, et al. "Direct Measurement of Helicoid Surface States in RhSi Using Nonlinear Optics." Physical Review Letters 127.15 (2021).

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