Fermi Surface and Anisotropic Spin-Orbit Coupling of Sb(111) studied by Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy

TL;DR

This study uses high-resolution ARPES to reveal that Sb(111) surfaces exhibit metallic states with spin-split Fermi surfaces, highlighting the dominant role of spin-orbit coupling in their electronic properties.

Contribution

It provides detailed experimental evidence of spin-split surface Fermi surfaces in Sb(111), emphasizing the significance of spin-orbit interaction in group-V semimetal surfaces.

Findings

Sb(111) surface is metallic despite bulk semimetallicity.

Two surface-derived Fermi surfaces are observed, likely spin split.

Spin-orbit interaction dominates surface electronic states.

Abstract

High-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy has been performed on Sb(111) to elucidate the origin of anomalous electronic properties in group-V semimetal surfaces. The surface was found to be metallic despite the semimetallic character of bulk. We clearly observed two surface-derived Fermi surfaces which are likely spin split, demonstrating that the spin-orbit interaction plays a dominant role in characterising the surface electronic states of group-V semimetals. Universality/disimilarity of the electronic structure in Bi and Sb is discussed in relation to the granular superconductivity, electron-phonon coupling, and surface charge/spin density wave.