Z$_2$ nontrivial topology of rare-earth binary oxide superconductor

TL;DR

This paper reveals that LaO, a recently discovered superconductor, exhibits a $Z_2$ nontrivial topological metal state with unique surface states, linking topological properties with superconductivity.

Contribution

It uncovers the topological nature of LaO's normal state and explains its origin from intra-atomic orbital transitions, providing new insights into topological superconductors.

Findings

LaO has a $Z_2$ nontrivial topological metal state.

Presence of Dirac point protected by crystal symmetry.

Observation of novel topological surface states.

Abstract

Recently, superconductivity has been discovered in rock-salt structured binary lanthanum monoxide LaO through state-of-the-art oxide thin-film epitaxy. In this work, we reveal that the normal state of superconducting LaO is a $Z_2$ nontrivial topological metal, where the Dirac point protected by the crystal symmetry is located around the Fermi energy. By analysing the orbital characteristics, we show that the nature of the topological band structure of LaO originates from the intra-atomic transition from the outer shell La 5$d$ to the inner shell 4$f$ orbitals driven by the strong octahedral crystal-field. Furthermore, the appearance of novel surface states unambiguously demonstrates the topological signature of LaO superconductor. Our theoretical findings not only shed new light into the understanding of the exotic quantum behaviors in LaO superconductor with intimate correlation between 4$f$ and 5$d$ orbitals in La, but also provide an exciting platform to explore the interplay between nontrivial topology and superconductivity.