Observation of Dimension-Crossover of a Tunable 1D Dirac Fermion in Topological Semimetal NbSi$_x$Te$_2$

TL;DR

This study reveals a tunable 1D Dirac fermion system in NbSi$_x$Te$_2$, demonstrating a crossover from 1D to 2D electronic behavior linked to topological properties, with implications for exploring 1D physics and applications.

Contribution

It provides the first systematic investigation of the 1D Dirac fermion electronic structure in NbSi$_x$Te$_2$ and demonstrates a controllable dimension crossover linked to topological features.

Findings

Dirac fermion forms a protected nodal line structure.

The system exhibits a transition from 1D to 2D Dirac behavior.

Fermi surface and velocity variations confirm the dimensional crossover.

Abstract

Condensed matter systems in low dimensions exhibit emergent physics that does not exist in three dimensions. When electrons are confined to one dimension (1D), some significant electronic states appear, such as charge density wave, spin-charge separations and Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) topological state. However, a clear understanding of how the 1D electronic properties connects with topology is currently lacking. Here we systematically investigated the characteristic 1D Dirac fermion electronic structure originated from the metallic NbTe$_2$ chains on the surface of the composition-tunable layered compound NbSi$_x$Te$_2$ ($x$ = 0.40 and 0.43) using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. We found the Dirac fermion forms a Dirac nodal line structure protected by the combined $\widetilde{\mathcal{M}}{\rm_y}$ and time-reversal symmetry T and proves the NbSi$_x$Te$_2$ system as a topological semimetal, in consistent with the ab-initio calculations. As $x$ decreases, the interaction between adjacent NbTe2 chains increases and Dirac fermion goes through a dimension-crossover from 1D to 2D, as evidenced by the variation of its Fermi surface and Fermi velocity across the Brillouin zone in consistence with a Dirac SSH model. Our findings demonstrate a tunable 1D Dirac electron system, which offers a versatile platform for the exploration of intriguing 1D physics and device applications.