Magneto-transport and Electronic Structures of BaZnBi$_2$

TL;DR

This study investigates the magneto-transport properties and electronic structure of BaZnBi$_2$, revealing its trivial topological nature, metallic behavior, and the origin of its linear magnetoresistance through experimental and theoretical analysis.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive analysis of BaZnBi$_2$'s electronic structure and magneto-transport, demonstrating its trivial topological semimetal characteristics.

Findings

BaZnBi$_2$ exhibits linear magnetoresistance and SdH oscillations.

First-principles calculations show absence of stable gapless Dirac fermions.

BaZnBi$_2$ is a topologically trivial semimetal with compensated electron and hole Fermi surfaces.

Abstract

We report the magneto-transport properties and electronic structures of BaZnBi$_2$. BaZnBi$_2$ is a quasi-two-dimensional (2D) material with metallic behavior. The transverse magnetoresistance (MR) depends on magnetic field linearly and exhibits Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillation at low temperature and high field. The observed linear MR may originate from the disorder in samples or the edge conductivity in compensated two-component systems. The first-principles calculations reveal the absence of stable gapless Dirac fermion. Combining with the trivial Berry phase extracted from SdH oscillation, BaZnBi$_2$ is suggested to be a topologically trivial semimetal. Nearly compensated electron-like Fermi surfaces (FSs) and hole-like FSs coexist in BaZnBi$_2$.