4$f$ crystal field ground state of the strongly correlated topological insulator SmB${}_6$

Abstract

We investigated the crystal-electric field ground state of the 4$f$ manifold in the strongly correlated topological insulator SmB${}_6$ using core level non-resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (NIXS). The directional dependence of the scattering function that arises from higher multipole transitions establishes unambiguously that the ${\Gamma }_8$ quartet state of the Sm $f^5$ $J$=$5/2$ configuration governs the ground-state symmetry and hence the topological properties of SmB${}_6$. Our findings contradict the results of density functional calculations reported so far.

9 pages, 9 figures

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• Quantum chemical insights into hexaboride electronic structures: correlations within the boron $p$-orbital subsystem
• Topology of SmB6 revisited by means of topological quantum chemistry
• Phase stability in SmB${}_6$
• Mixed-valence state in the dilute-impurity regime of La-substituted SmB${}_6$
• Surface excitations relaxation in the Kondo insulator Sm${}_{1-x}$Gd${}_x$B${}_6$
• Mapping out the emergence of topological features in the highly alloyed topological Kondo insulators Sm${}_{1-x}{M}_x$B${}_6$ ($M$=Eu, Ce)