Magnetic torque anomaly in the quantum limit of the Weyl semi-metal NbAs

Abstract

Electrons in materials with linear dispersion behave as massless Weyl- or Dirac-quasiparticles, and continue to intrigue physicists due to their close resemblance to elusive ultra-relativistic particles as well as their potential for future electronics. Yet the experimental signatures of Weyl-fermions are often subtle and indirect, in particular if they coexist with conventional, massive quasiparticles. Here we report a large anomaly in the magnetic torque of the Weyl semi-metal NbAs upon entering the "quantum limit" state in high magnetic fields, where topological corrections to the energy spectrum become dominant. The quantum limit torque displays a striking change in sign, signaling a reversal of the magnetic anisotropy that can be directly attributed to the topological properties of the Weyl semi-metal. Our results establish that anomalous quantum limit torque measurements provide a simple experimental method to identify Weyl- and Dirac- semi-metals.

5 pages, 4 figures

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• Titanic Magnetoresistance in WTe2
• Theoretical Discovery/Prediction: Weyl Semimetal states in the TaAs material (TaAs, NbAs, NbP, TaP) class
• Negative magnetoresistance without well-defined chirality in the Weyl semimetal TaP
• Extremely large magnetoresistance and ultrahigh mobility in the topological Weyl semimetal NbP
• Dirac materials
• Topological response in Weyl semimetals and the chiral anomaly
• Magnetotransport of single crystalline YSb
• Magnetotransport of single crystalline NbAs
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• Breakdown of the Chiral Anomaly in Weyl Semimetals in a Strong Magnetic Field
• Dynamic current-current susceptibility in 3D Dirac and Weyl semimetals
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• Time-Domain Terahertz Spectroscopy in High Magnetic Fields
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• Detection of relativistic fermions in Weyl semimetal TaAs by magnetostriction measurements
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• Magnetic Switching in Weyl Semimetal-Superconductor Heterostructures
• Electronic properties of the parabolic Dirac system
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• Quantum magnetic oscillations in Weyl semimetals with tilted nodes
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