Electronic Structure of a Nodal Line Semimetal Candidate TbSbTe

TL;DR

This study investigates the electronic structure of TbSbTe, revealing nodal lines and magnetic ordering, and explores the interplay of symmetry, spin-orbit coupling, and topology using ARPES and first-principles calculations.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed experimental and theoretical analysis of the nodal line semimetal candidate TbSbTe, highlighting its magnetic and topological properties.

Findings

Presence of nodal lines along GammaX and extended along XR

Antiferromagnetic ordering below 5.1 K

Observation of photon energy dependent nodal features

Abstract

The LnSbTe (Ln = Lanthanides) family, like isostructural ZrSiS type compounds, has emerged as a fertile playground for exploring the interaction of electronic correlations and magnetic ordering with the nodal line band topology. Here, we report a detailed electronic band structure investigation of TbSbTe, corroborated by electrical transport, thermodynamic, and magnetic studies. Temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility and thermodynamic transport studies indicate the onset of antiferromagnetic ordering below TN = 5.1 K. The electronic band structure study, carried out with high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements aided with density functional theory based first-principles calculations reveals presence of nodal lines in the GammaX high symmetry direction, forming a diamond-shaped nodal plane around Gamma high symmetry point. A strongly photon energy dependent nodal feature located at the X point of the surface Brillouin zone, indicating an extended nodal line along X R direction, is also observed. This study elucidates the intricate interplay among symmetry-protected band characteristics, the influence of spin orbit coupling, magnetism, and topological properties.