Controllable optical bistability in a Fabry-Pérot cavity with a nonlinear three-dimensional Dirac semimetal

Optical bistability(OB)is capable of rapidly and reversibly transforming a parameter of an optical signal from one state to another,and homologous nonlinear optical bistable devices are core components of high-speed all-optical communication and all-optical networks.In this paper,we theoretically investigated the controllable OB from a Fabry-Pérot(FP)cavity with a nonlinear three-dimensional Dirac semimetal(3D DSM)in the terahertz band.The OB stems from the third-order nonlinear bulk conductivity of the 3D DSM and the resonance mode has a positive effect on the generation of OB.This FP cavity structure is able to tune the OB because the transmittance and the reflectance can be modulated by the Fermi energy of the 3D DSM.We believe that this FP cavity configuration could provide a reference concept for realizing tunable bistable devices.

Electronic structure, Dirac points and Fermi arc surface states in three-dimensional Dirac semimetal Na_3Bi from angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

The three-dimensional（3D） Dirac semimetals have linearly dispersive 3D Dirac nodes where the conduction band and valence band are connected. They have isolated 3D Dirac nodes in the whole Brillouin zone and can be viewed as a 3D counterpart of graphene. Recent theoretical calculations and experimental results indicate that the 3D Dirac semimetal state can be realized in a simple stoichiometric compound A3Bi（A = Na, K, Rb）. Here we report comprehensive high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission（ARPES） measurements on the two cleaved surfaces,（001） and（100）, of Na3Bi. On the（001） surface, by comparison with theoretical calculations, we provide a proper assignment of the observed bands, and in particular, pinpoint the band that is responsible for the formation of the three-dimensional Dirac cones. We observe clear evidence of 3D Dirac cones in the three-dimensional momentum space by directly measuring on the kx–ky plane and by varying the photon energy to get access to different out-of-plane kzs. In addition, we reveal new features around the Brillouin zone corners that may be related with surface reconstruction. On the（100） surface, our ARPES measurements over a large momentum space raise an issue on the selection of the basic Brillouin zone in the（100） plane. We directly observe two isolated 3D Dirac nodes on the（100） surface. We observe the signature of the Fermi-arc surface states connecting the two 3D Dirac nodes that extend to a binding energy of ~150 me V before merging into the bulk band. Our observations constitute strong evidence on the existence of the Dirac semimetal state in Na3Bi that are consistent with previous theoretical and experimental work. In addition, our results provide new information to clarify on the nature of the band that forms the3 D Dirac cones, on the possible formation of surface reconstruction of the（001） surface, and on the issue of basic Brillouin zone selection for the（100） surface.

Dynamic conductivity modified by impurity resonant states in doping three-dimensional Dirac semimetals

The impurity effect is studied in three-dimensional Dirac semimetals in the framework of a T-matrix method to consider the multiple scattering events of Dirac electrons off impurities. It has been found that a strong impurity potential can significantly restructure the energy dispersion and the density of states of Dirac electrons. An impurity-induced resonant state emerges and significantly modifies the pristine optical response. It is shown that the impurity state disturbs the common longitudinal optical conductivity by creating either an optical conductivity peak or double absorption jumps, depending on the relative position of the impurity band and the Fermi level. More importantly, these conductivity features appear in the forbidden region between the Drude and interband transition, completely or partially filling the Pauli block region of optical response. The underlying physics is that the appearance of resonance states as well as the broadening of the bands leads to a more complicated selection rule for the optical transitions, making it possible to excite new electron-hole pairs in the forbidden region. These features in optical conductivity provide valuable information to understand the impurity behaviors in 3D Dirac materials.

Tunable coherent perfect absorption in three-dimensional Dirac semimetal films

In this article,we investigate the phenomenon of coherent perfect absorption(CPA)with bulk Dirac semimetal(BDS)thin film.CPA of BDS appears at the frequency of 43.89 THz with 0°phase modulation of two coherent input lights.Meanwhile,it shows that CPA can be realized under oblique incidence circumstances for both TM and TE polarizations.Moreover,the frequency of CPA can be adjusted by altering the thickness of BDS thin film,and the dynamic regulation of CPA can be realized by changing the Fermi energy.Finally,the peak coherent absorption frequency can be controlled by changing the degeneracy factor.

Photoinduced Floquet higher-order Weyl semimetal in C_(6) symmetric Dirac semimetals

Topological Dirac semimetals are a parent state from which other exotic topological phases of matter, such as Weyl semimetals and topological insulators, can emerge. In this study, we investigate a Dirac semimetal possessing sixfold rotational symmetry and hosting higher-order topological hinge Fermi arc states, which is irradiated by circularly polarized light. Our findings reveal that circularly polarized light splits each Dirac node into a pair of Weyl nodes due to the breaking of time-reversal symmetry, resulting in the realization of the Weyl semimetal phase. This Weyl semimetal phase exhibits rich boundary states, including two-dimensional surface Fermi arc states and hinge Fermi arc states confined to six hinges.Furthermore, by adjusting the incident direction of the circularly polarized light, we can control the degree of tilt of the resulting Weyl cones, enabling the realization of different types of Weyl semimetals.

Generalization of the theory of three-dimensional quantum Hall effect of Fermi arcs in Weyl semimetal

The quantum Hall effect(QHE),which is usually observed in two-dimensional systems,was predicted theoretically and observed experimentally in three-dimensional(3 D)topological semimetal.However,there are some inconsistencies between the theory and the experiments showing the theory is imperfect.Here,we generalize the theory of the 3 D QHE of Fermi arcs in Weyl semimetal.Through calculating the sheet Hall conductivity of a Weyl semimetal slab,we show that the 3 D QHE of Fermi arcs can occur in a large energy range and the thickness dependences of the QHE in different Fermi energies are distinct.When the Fermi energy is near the Weyl nodes,the Fermi arcs give rise to the QHE which is independent of the thickness of the slab.When the Fermi energy is not near the Weyl nodes,the two Fermi arcs form a complete Fermi loop with the assistance of bulk states giving rise to the QHE which is dependent on the sample thickness.We also demonstrate how the band anisotropic terms influence the QHE of Fermi arcs.Our theory complements the imperfections of the present theory of 3 D QHE of Fermi arcs.

Electron transport in Dirac and Weyl semimetals

Recently, the Dirac and Weyl semimetals have attracted extensive attention in condensed matter physics due to both the fundamental interest and the potential application of a new generation of electronic devices. Here we review the exotic electrical transport phenomena in Dirac andWeyl semimetals. Section 1 is a brief introduction to the topological semimetals（TSMs）. In Section 2 and Section 3, the intriguing transport phenomena in Dirac semimetals（DSMs） andWeyl semimetals（WSMs） are reviewed, respectively. The most widely studied Cd_3A_（s2） and the TaAs family are selected as representatives to show the typical properties of DSMs and WSMs, respectively. Beyond these systems, the advances in other TSM materials,such as ZrTe_5 and the MoTe_2 family, are also introduced. In Section 4, we provide perspectives on the study of TSMs especially on the magnetotransport investigations.

Unexpected low thermal conductivity and large power factor in Dirac semimetal Cd3As2

Thermoelectrics has long been considered as a promising way of power generation for the next decades. So far, extensive efforts have been devoted to the search of ideal thermoelectric materials, which require both high electrical conductivity and low thermal conductivity. Recently, the emerging Dirac semimetal Cd3As2, a three-dimensional analogue of graphene, has been reported to host ultra-high mobility and good electrical conductivity as metals. Here, we report the observation of unexpected low thermal conductivity in Cd3As2, one order of magnitude lower than the conventional metals or semimetals with a similar electrical conductivity, despite the semimetal band structure and high electron mobility. The power factor also reaches a large value of 1.58 mW.m 1 .K-2 at room temperature and remains non-saturated up to 400 K. Corroborating with the first-principles calculations, we find that the thermoelectric performance can be well-modulated by the carrier concentration in a wide range. This work demonstrates the Dirac semimetal Cd3As2 as a potential candidate of thermoelectric materials.

Coherent Acoustic Phonon and Its Chirping in Dirac Semimetal Cd_3As_2

Ultrafast optical spectroscopy of a single crystal of a Dirac semimetal Cd_3As_（2 ）is carried out.An acoustic phonon（AP）mode with central frequency f=0.037 THz（i.e.,1.23 cm^（-1）or 0.153 meV）is unambiguously generated and detected,which we attribute to laser-induced thermal strain.An AP chirping（i.e.,variation of the phonon frequency）is clearly detected,which is ascribed to heat capacity variation with time.By comparing our experimental results and the theoretical model,we obtain a chirping time constant,which is 31.2 ps at 6 K and 19.8 ps at 300 K,respectively.Significantly,we identify an asymmetry in the AP frequency domain peak and find that it is caused by the chirping,instead of a Fano resonance.Moreover,we experimentally demonstrate that the central frequency of AP is extremely stable with varying laser fluence,as well as temperature,which endows Cd_3As_2application potentials in thermoelectric devices.

Highly tunable plasmon-induced transparency with Dirac semimetal metamaterials

Based on Dirac semimetal metamaterials,the tunable plasmon induced transparency(PIT)is investigated elaborately in this work.The designed unit cell consists of a strip and a square bracket,which is periodically aligned on the dielectric substrate.Our numerical results illustrate that a pronounced transparency window exists due to near field coupling between two bright modes,which can be dynamically tuned with Fermi energy.Namely,the transparency window demonstrates a distinct blue shift with a larger Fermi energy.Moreover,an on-to-off switch of the PIT transparency window is realized with different polarization angles.In addition,the accompanied slow light property is examined with the calculation of phase and group delay.Finally,a small variation of the refractive index of the substrate can induce a clear movement of the PIT transparency window which delivers a guidance in the application of optical sensing.Thus,this work provides us a new strategy to design compact and adjustable PIT devices and has potential applications in highly tunable optical switchers,sensors,and slow light devices.

Control of topological phase transitions in Dirac semimetal films by exchange fields

The exchange field effects on topological Dirac semimetal（DSM） films are discussed in this article. A topological phase transition can be controlled by tuning the exchange field together with the quantum confinement effects. What is more interesting is that the system can transit into the quantum anomalous Hall（QAH） state from the topologically trivial state（Z2 = 0） or from the topologically nontrivial state（Z2 = 1）, depending on the thickness of the DSM films. This provides a useful mechanism to realize the QAH state from the DSM.

Measurement of the bulk and surface bands in Dirac line-node semimetal ZrSiS

Dirac semimetals are materials in which the conduction and the valence bands have robust crossing points protected by topology or symmetry. Recently, a new type of Dirac semimetals, so called the Dirac line-node semimetals （DLNSs）, have attracted a lot of attention, as they host robust Dirac points along the one-dimensional （1D） lines in the Brillouin zone （BZ）. In this work, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy （ARPES） and first-principles calculations, we systematically investigated the electronic structures of non-symmorphic ZrSiS crystal where we clearly distinguished the surface states from the bulk states. The photon-energy-dependent measurements further prove the existence of Dirac line node along the X-R direction. Remarkably, by in situ surface potassium doping, we clearly observed the different evolutions of the bulk and surface electronic states while proving the robustness of the Dirac line node. Our studies not only reveal the complete electronic structures of ZrSiS, but also demonstrate the method manipulating the electronic structure of the compound.

Unusual thermodynamics of low-energy phonons in the Dirac semimetal Cd_(3)As_(2)

By studying the thermal conductivity,specific heat,elastic modulus,and thermal expansion as a function of temperature for Cd_(3)As_(2),we have unveiled a couple of important thermodynamic features of the low-energy phonons strongly interacting with Dirac electrons.The existence of soft optical phonons,as inferred from the extremely low thermal conductivity,is unambiguously confirmed by low-temperature specific heat revealing significant deviation from Debye's description.The estimated Debye temperature is small in the range of 100-200 K and varies significantly depending upon the measurement used in its experimental determination.The thermodynamic Gr¨uneisen ratioγreveals a remarkable reduction below about 100 K,an energy scale that is highly relevant to the Dirac states,towards negative values below about 10 K that are indicative of lattice instability.

Enhanced and controllable reflected group delay based on Tamm surface plasmons with Dirac semimetals

The reflected group delay from a multilayer structure comprising a one-dimensional photonic crystal coated with a bulk Dirac semimetal(BDS)separated by a spacer layer is investigated theoretically.It is shown that the group delay of the reflected beam in this structure can be significantly negatively enhanced and switched from negative to positive.The enhanced group delay originates from the steep phase change caused by the excitation of the optical Tamm state at the interface between the BDS and spacer layer.Moreover,positive and negative group delays can be actively tuned through the Fermi energy and the relaxation time of the BDS.We believe that this enhanced and tunable delay scheme has important research significance for the fabrication of optical delay devices.

Broadband strong optical dichroism in topological Dirac semimetals with Fermi velocity anisotropy

Prototypical three-dimensional(3D)topological Dirac semimetals(DSMs),such as Cd3As2 and Na3Bi,contain electrons that obey a linear momentum-energy dispersion with different Fermi velocities along the three orthogonal momentum dimensions.Despite being extensively studied in recent years,the inherent Fermi velocity anisotropy has often been neglected in the theoretical and numerical studies of 3D DSMs.Although this omission does not qualitatively alter the physics of light-driven massless quasiparticles in 3D DSMs,it does quantitatively change the optical coefficients which can lead to nontrivial implications in terms of nanophotonics and plasmonics applications.Here we study the linear optical response of 3D DSMs for general Fermi velocity values along each direction.Although the signature conductivity-frequency scaling,σ(ω)∝ω,of 3D Dirac fermion is well-protected from the Fermi velocity anisotropy,the linear optical response exhibits strong linear dichroism as captured by the universal extinction ratio scaling law,Λi j=(vi/v j)^2(where i=j denotes the three spatial coordinates x,y,z,and vi is the i-direction Fermi velocity),which is independent of frequency,temperature,doping,and carrier scattering lifetime.For Cd3As2 and Na3Bi3,an exceptionally strong extinction ratio larger than 15 and covering a broad terahertz window is revealed.Our findings shed new light on the role of Fermi velocity anisotropy in the optical response of Dirac semimetals and open up novel polarization-sensitive functionalities,such as photodetection and light modulation.

Structural and electrical transport properties of Dirac-like semimetal PdSn4 under high pressure

We conducted in-situ high-pressure synchrotron x-ray diffraction(XRD) and electrical transport measurements on Dirac-like semimetal Pd Sn4 in diamond anvil cells with quasi-hydrostatic pressure condition up to 44.5 GPa–52.0 GPa. The XRD data show that the ambient orthorhombic phase(Ccca) is stable with pressures to 44.5 GPa, and the lattice parameters and unit-cell volume decrease monotonously upon compression. The temperature dependence of the resistance exhibits a metallic conduction and follows a Fermi-liquid behavior below 50 K, both of which keep unchanged upon compression to 52.0 GPa. The magnetoresistance curve at 5 K maintains a linear feature in a magnetic field range of 2.5 T–7 T with increasing pressure to 20.0 GPa. Our results may provide pressure-transport constraints on the robustness of the Dirac fermions.

Electrical-Controlled Transport for Surface States in a Dirac Semimetal Quantum Wire

The transport properties of a Dirac semimet^l quantum wire with two side gates are theoretically studied by adopting the lattice Green function method. It is found that a residual conductance quantum contributed from the surface states can be switched on or off by tuning the electron energy or the side gates voltage. This ideal switching effect for the surface Dirac electron results from the transversal quantum confinement of the quantum wire in combination with the electrostatic potential induced by the side gates. These findings may provide useful guidance for designing all-electrical topological nanoelectronic devices.

Recent advances in photonics of threedimensional Dirac semimetal Cd_(3)As_(2)

Due to their unusual features in condensed matter physics and their applicability in optical and optoelectronic applications,three-dimensional Dirac semimetals(3D DSMs)have garnered substantial interest in recent years.In contrast to monolayer graphene,3D DSM exhibits linear band dispersion despite its macroscopic thickness.Therefore,being a bulk material,it is easy to make nanostructures with 3D DSM,just as one normally does with metals such as gold and silver.Among 3D DSMs,cadmium arsenide(Cd_(3)As_(2))is quite famous and considered an excellent 3D DSM due to its chemical stability in air and extraordinary optical response.In this review,advances in 3D DSM Cd_(3)As_(2)fabrication techniques and recent progress in the photonics of 3D DSM Cd_(3)As_(2)are given and briefly reviewed.Various photonic features,including linear and nonlinear plasmonics,optical absorption,optical harmonic generation,and ultrafast dynamics,have been explored in detail.It is expected that Cd_(3)As_(2)would share an excellent tunable photonic response like graphene.We envision that this article may serve as a concise overview of the recent progress of photonics in 3D DSM Cd_(3)As_(2)and provides a compact reference for young researchers.

一种基于Dirac半金属的可调控极化偏转器件的仿真分析

本文提出了一种基于体Dirac半金属(Bulk Dirac Semimetal,BDS)的动态超材料结构极化偏转器.与传统的极化偏转器不同,该偏转器可以通过改变费米能级来动态控制偏振转换率和不对称传输.模拟结果表明,当BDS的费米能级调整为90 meV时,偏转器的偏振转换率在1.085~1.872 THz频率范围内都保持在90%以上(带宽为0.787 THz),在1.159 THz处偏振转换率达到峰值98%.该偏振转换器的不对称传输参数在1.229~1.831 THz大带宽范围内大于60%.本文还研究了偏振旋转角、椭圆度角、表面电流和电场分布情况以阐明该器件的极化转换特性和物理机制;通过施加栅极电压控制BDS费米能级,实现了对该极化偏转器的偏振转换率以及不对称传输的动态调谐.该极化偏转器的可调谐不对称传输特性,为基于动态不对称传输所设计的多路复用器、太赫兹二极管等设备的制造提供了新的思路.

Dirac-Weyl半金属结中电磁控制的克莱因隧穿和电荷电导

从理论上研究了Dirac-Weyl半金属结中电磁控制的克莱因隧穿和电荷电导.研究发现:完美电子隧穿显著依赖于电势垒的大小、磁场幅度及其方向.当电势垒接近费米能时,该结构显示了明显的波矢过滤特性.通过调节磁场幅度和方向,可以获得任意入射角度的完美隧穿电子波矢.基于电子的透射概率,进一步计算了电势垒和磁场幅度对电荷电导的影响,通过选择合适的电势垒或磁场幅度,可以实现电子开关的功能.这些理论结果为设计基于Dirac-Weyl半金属结中纳米电子器件提供了基础.