Unoccupied electronic structure and signatures of topological Fermi arcs in the Weyl semimetal candidate Mo$_x$W$_{1-x}$Te$_2$

TL;DR

This study uses pump-probe ARPES to observe Fermi arc signatures in Mo$_x$W$_{1-x}$Te$_2$, a promising Weyl semimetal candidate, providing experimental evidence that aligns with theoretical predictions but with interpretative challenges.

Contribution

First experimental observation of Fermi arcs in Mo$_x$W$_{1-x}$Te$_2$ using pump-probe ARPES, advancing the understanding of its Weyl semimetal properties.

Findings

Fermi arcs observed above the Fermi level in Mo$_x$W$_{1-x}$Te$_2$

Experimental signatures agree with theoretical surface state calculations

Interpretation of features depends on surface state parameters

Abstract

Weyl semimetals have sparked intense research interest, but experimental work has been limited to the TaAs family of compounds. Recently, a number of theoretical works have predicted that compounds in the Mo$_x$W$_{1-x}$Te$_2$ series are Weyl semimetals. Such proposals are particularly exciting because Mo$_x$W$_{1-x}$Te$_2$ has a quasi two-dimensional crystal structure well-suited to many transport experiments, while WTe$_2$ and MoTe$_2$ have already been the subject of numerous proposals for device applications. However, with available ARPES techniques it is challenging to demonstrate a Weyl semimetal in Mo$_x$W$_{1-x}$Te$_2$. According to the predictions, the Weyl points are above the Fermi level, the system approaches two critical points as a function of doping, there are many irrelevant bulk bands, the Fermi arcs are nearly degenerate with bulk bands and the bulk band gap is small. Here, we study Mo$_x$W$_{1-x}$Te$_2$ for $x = 0.07$ and 0.45 using pump-probe ARPES. The system exhibits a dramatic response to the pump laser and we successfully access states $> 0.2$eV above the Fermi level. For the first time, we observe direct, experimental signatures of Fermi arcs in Mo$_x$W$_{1-x}$Te$_2$, which agree well with theoretical calculations of the surface states. However, we caution that the interpretation of these features depends sensitively on free parameters in the surface state calculation. We comment on the prospect of conclusively demonstrating a Weyl semimetal in Mo$_x$W$_{1-x}$Te$_2$.