Magnetic structure of <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>EuZn</mml:mi> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:msub> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>Sb</mml:mi> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:msub> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> single-cr

Magnetic topological materials are a class of compounds which can host massless electrons controlled by the magnetic order. One such compound is EuZn$_2$Sb$_2$, which has recently garnered interest due to its strong interplay between the Eu magnetism and charge carriers. However the topology of the electronic band structure, which depends on the ground state magnetic configuration of the europium sublattice, has not been determined. Based on our \textit{ab-initio} calculations, we find that an in-plane and out-of-plane \textit{A}-type antiferromagnetic (AFM) order generates a topological crystalline insulator and Dirac semimetal respectively, whereas a ferromagnetic (FM) order stabilizes a Weyl semimetal. Our resonant x-ray elastic scattering measurements of single-crystal thin film EuZn$_2$Sb$_2$ reveal both a sharp magnetic peak at $\textit{\textbf{Q}}$=$(0,0,\frac{1}{2})$ and broad $\textit{\textbf{Q}}$=$(0,0,1)$ below $T_{\mathrm{N}}=12.9$\,K, which is associated with an \textit{A}-type AFM and FM order, respectively. Our measurements indicate that the FM and AFM layers are spatially separated along the crystal $c$ axis, with the former limited to the top three atomic layers. We propose that EuZn$_2$Sb$_2$ behaves as a Weyl semimetal in the surface FM layers, and as a topological crystalline insulator in the lower AFM layers.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Physical review. B./Physical review. B
Published
2026-01-21
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1103/yvm1-qmh9
Primary Topic
Topological Materials and Phenomena
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Magnetic structure of <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>EuZn</mml:mi> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:msub> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>Sb</mml:mi> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:msub> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> single-cr

Masaki Uchida, Shinichi Nishihaya, Hsiang Lee, E. Weschke et al.
Physical review. B./Physical review. B
Topological Materials and Phenomena
article

Magnetic structure of <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>EuZn</mml:mi> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:msub> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>Sb</mml:mi> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:msub> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> single-cr

Masaki Uchida, Shinichi Nishihaya, Hsiang Lee, E. Weschke, Mikhael Sayat, Anonymous, Jian-Rui Soh
article en

Abstract

Magnetic topological materials are a class of compounds which can host massless electrons controlled by the magnetic order. One such compound is EuZn$_2$Sb$_2$, which has recently garnered interest due to its strong interplay between the Eu magnetism and charge carriers. However the topology of the electronic band structure, which depends on the ground state magnetic configuration of the europium sublattice, has not been determined. Based on our \textit{ab-initio} calculations, we find that an in-plane and out-of-plane \textit{A}-type antiferromagnetic (AFM) order generates a topological crystalline insulator and Dirac semimetal respectively, whereas a ferromagnetic (FM) order stabilizes a Weyl semimetal. Our resonant x-ray elastic scattering measurements of single-crystal thin film EuZn$_2$Sb$_2$ reveal both a sharp magnetic peak at $\textit{\textbf{Q}}$=$(0,0,\frac{1}{2})$ and broad $\textit{\textbf{Q}}$=$(0,0,1)$ below $T_{\mathrm{N}}=12.9$\,K, which is associated with an \textit{A}-type AFM and FM order, respectively. Our measurements indicate that the FM and AFM layers are spatially separated along the crystal $c$ axis, with the former limited to the top three atomic layers. We propose that EuZn$_2$Sb$_2$ behaves as a Weyl semimetal in the surface FM layers, and as a topological crystalline insulator in the lower AFM layers.

Physical review. B./Physical review. BVol. 113(5)
Tokyo Institute of Technology (JP), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (SG), Centre for Quantum Technologies (SG), Australian National University (AU), University of Michigan (US), Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (DE), Toyota Physical and Chemical Research Institute (JP), Imperial College London (GB)
Openalex Percentile: Top 77%
Topological Materials and Phenomena
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.