Fermi arcs dominating the electronic surface properties of trigonal PtBi$_2$

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that Fermi arcs significantly influence the surface electronic properties of trigonal PtBi$_2$, a material with topological and superconducting features, confirmed through quasiparticle interference experiments.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence of topological Fermi arcs in trigonal PtBi$_2$ using scanning tunneling microscopy, linking Weyl semimetal features to surface electronic behavior.

Findings

Fermi arcs dominate quasiparticle interference patterns.

Surface electronic properties are governed by Weyl fermiology.

Topological features are confirmed in the normal state of PtBi$_2.

Abstract

Materials combining topologically non-trivial behavior and superconductivity offer a potential route for quantum computation. However, the set of available materials intrinsically realizing these properties are scarce. Recently, surface superconductivity has been reported in PtBi$_2$ in its trigonal phase and an inherent Weyl semimetal phase has been predicted. Here, based on scanning tunneling microscopy experiments, we reveal the signature of topological Fermi arcs in the normal state patterns of the quasiparticle interference. We show that the scattering between Fermi arcs dominates the interference spectra, providing conclusive evidence for the relevance of Weyl fermiology for the surface electronic properties of trigonal PtBi$_2$.