Fully spin-polarized double-Weyl fermions with type-III dispersion in quasi-one dimensional materials X2RhF6 (X=K, Rb, Cs)

TL;DR

This paper predicts fully spin-polarized double-Weyl fermions with unique type-III dispersion in ferromagnetic X2RhF6 materials, expanding understanding of topological states in magnetic systems and suggesting potential spintronics applications.

Contribution

It introduces a new class of fully spin-polarized double-Weyl fermions with type-III dispersion in ferromagnetic materials, supported by density-functional theory and symmetry analysis.

Findings

Identification of fully spin-polarized double-Weyl points in X2RhF6.

Discovery of type-III dispersion with saddle-shaped crossing bands.

Prediction of surface Fermi arcs and effects of lattice strain on Weyl points.

Abstract

Double-Weyl fermions, as novel topological states of matter, have been mostly discussed in nonmagnetic materials. Here, based on density-functional theory and symmetry analysis, we propose the realization of fully spin-polarized double-Weyl fermions in a family ferromagnetic materials X2RhF6 (X= K, Rb, Cs). These materials have the half-metal ground states, where only the bands from the spin-down channel present near the Fermi energy. The spin-down bands form a pair of triply degenerate nodal points (TDNPs) if spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is not included. Under SOC, one TDNP splits into two double-Weyl points featuring quadratic dispersion along two momentum direction, and they are protected by the three-fold rotation (C3) symmetry. Unlike most double-Weyl semimetals, the Weyl points proposed here have the type-III dispersion with one of the crossing bands being saddle-shaped. An effective model is constructed, which describes well the nature of the Weyl points. These Weyl points are fully spin-polarized, and are characterized with double Fermi arcs on the surface spectrum. Breaking C3 symmetry by lattice strain could shift one double-Weyl point into a pair of type-II single-Weyl points. The X2RhF6 materials proposed here are excellent candidates to investigate the novel properties of type-III double-Weyl fermions in ferromagnetic system, as well as generate potential applications in spintronics.