Magnetic Weyl Semimetallic Phase in Thin Films of Eu2Ir2O7

Xiaoran Liu, Shiang Fang, Yixing Fu, Wenbo Ge, Mikhail Kareev, Jong-Woo Kim, Yongseong Choi, Evguenia Karapetrova, Qinghua Zhang, Lin Gu, Eun-Sang Choi, Fangdi Wen, Justin H. Wilson, Gilberto Fabbris, Philip J. Ryan, John W. Freeland, Daniel Haskel, Weida Wu, J. H. Pixley, and Jak Chakhalian
Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 277204 – Published 29 December 2021
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Abstract

The interplay between electronic interactions and strong spin-orbit coupling is expected to create a plethora of fascinating correlated topological states of quantum matter. Of particular interest are magnetic Weyl semimetals originally proposed in the pyrochlore iridates, which are only expected to reveal their topological nature in thin film form. To date, however, direct experimental demonstrations of these exotic phases remain elusive, due to the lack of usable single crystals and the insufficient quality of available films. Here, we report on the discovery of signatures for the long-sought magnetic Weyl semimetallic phase in (111)-oriented Eu2Ir2O7 high-quality epitaxial thin films. We observed an intrinsic anomalous Hall effect with colossal coercivity but vanishing net magnetization, which emerges right below the onset of a peculiar magnetic phase with all-in-all-out (AIAO) antiferromagnetic ordering. The anomalous Hall conductivity obtained experimentally is consistent with the theoretical prediction, likely arising from the nonzero Berry curvature emanated by Weyl node pairs near the Fermi level that act as sources and sinks of Berry flux, activated by broken cubic crystal symmetry at the top and bottom terminations of the thin film.

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  • Received 26 May 2021
  • Revised 19 November 2021
  • Accepted 24 November 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.277204

© 2021 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Xiaoran Liu1,2,*, Shiang Fang1,3,†, Yixing Fu1,3, Wenbo Ge1, Mikhail Kareev1, Jong-Woo Kim4, Yongseong Choi4, Evguenia Karapetrova4, Qinghua Zhang2, Lin Gu2, Eun-Sang Choi5, Fangdi Wen1, Justin H. Wilson1,3,8,9, Gilberto Fabbris4, Philip J. Ryan4, John W. Freeland4, Daniel Haskel4, Weida Wu1, J. H. Pixley1,3,6,7, and Jak Chakhalian1

  • 1Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
  • 2Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 10019, P. R. China
  • 3Center for Materials Theory, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
  • 4X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA
  • 5National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, USA
  • 6Center for Computational Quantum Physics, Flatiron Institute, 162 5th Avenue, New York, New York 10010, USA
  • 7Physics Department, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
  • 8Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA
  • 9Center for Computation & Technology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA

  • *xiaoran.liu@rutgers.edu
  • shiangfang913@gmail.com

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Issue

Vol. 127, Iss. 27 — 31 December 2021

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