Anomalous Dirac Plasmons in 1D Topological Electrides

Abstract

Plasmon opens up the possibility to efficiently couple light and matter at sub-wavelength scales. In general, the plasmon frequency is dependent of carrier density. This dependency, however, renders fundamentally a weak plasmon intensity at low frequency, especially for Dirac plasmon (DP) widely studied in graphene. Here we demonstrate a new type of DP, excited by a Dirac nodal-surface state, which exhibits an anomalously density-independent frequency. Remarkably, we predict realization of anomalous DP (ADP) in 1D topological electrides, such as Ba3CrN3 and Sr3CrN3, by first-principles calculations. The ADPs in both systems have a density-independent frequency and high intensity, and their frequency can be tuned from terahertz to mid-infrared by changing the excitation direction. Furthermore, the intrinsic weak electron-phonon coupling of anionic electrons in electrides affords an added advantage of ultra-low phonon-assisted damping and hence a long lifetime of the ADPs. Our work paves the way to developing novel plasmonic and optoelectronic devices by combining topological physics with electride materials.