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Dirac nodal lines protected against spin-orbit interaction in IrO2

Cornell Affiliated Author(s)

Author

J.N. Nelson
J.P. Ruf
Y. Lee
Cyrus Zeledon
J.K. Kawasaki
S. Moser
C. Jozwiak
E. Rotenberg
A. Bostwick
D.G. Schlom
K.M. Shen
L. Moreschini

Abstract

The interplay between strong spin-orbit coupling and electron correlations has recently been the subject of intense investigation, due to a number of theoretically predicted phases such as quantum spin liquids, unconventional superconductivity, complex magnetic orders, and correlated topological phases of matter. In particular, iridates have been proposed as a promising family of materials which could host a number of these phases. Here we report the existence of Dirac nodal lines in the binary oxide IrO2, through a combination of reactive oxide molecular beam epitaxy and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Unlike in other such materials reported to date, these Dirac nodal lines have the unique property of being simultaneously (i) robust against spin-orbit coupling, as they are protected by the nonsymmorphic symmetry of the rutile structure, and (ii) only partially occupied, since they cross the Fermi level. This should have direct implications on the low-energy physics properties tied to the band velocity such as magnetoresistance and spin Hall effect. © 2019 American Physical Society.

Date Published

Journal

Physical Review Materials

Volume

3

Issue

6

URL

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85068896213&doi=10.1103%2fPhysRevMaterials.3.064205&partnerID=40&md5=df142c4f6ffcc7e751d6b13db86928c8

DOI

10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.3.064205

Group (Lab)

Kyle Shen Group

Funding Source

DMR-1719875
1709255
1719875
DMR-1539918
DMR-1709255

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