NdAlSi: a magnetic Weyl semimetal candidate with rich magnetic phases and atypical transport properties

TL;DR

NdAlSi is a promising magnetic Weyl semimetal candidate with complex magnetic phases and unusual transport behaviors, offering a platform to explore the interplay of magnetism and topological quantum phenomena.

Contribution

This study introduces NdAlSi as a new magnetic Weyl semimetal candidate with rich magnetic phases and atypical transport properties, supported by experimental characterization and band structure calculations.

Findings

Observation of a two-fold symmetric sharp peak in angular magnetoresistance

Establishment of a temperature-magnetic field phase diagram

Identification of tunable topological and magnetic properties

Abstract

Magnetic Weyl semimetals (MWSM) have attracted significant attention due to their intriguing physical properties and potential applications in spin-electronic devices. Here we report the characterization of NdAlSi including transport, magnetization, and heat capacity on single crystals, as well as band structure calculation. It is a newly proposed MWSM candidate which breaks both time-reversal and spacial inversion symmetries. A temperature-magnetic field phase diagram is experimentally established. Remarkably, on the angular magnetoresistance (AMR), a two-fold symmetric sharp peak instead of a smooth variation is observed in the field-induced ferrimagnetic phase. We argue that the tunability of both the topological and magnetic properties in NdAlSi is crucial for realizing such a behavior. Our results indicate that 4f-electron-based MWSM can provide a unique platform to explore new and intriguing quantum phenomena arising from the interaction between magnetism and topology.