Molecular beam deposition of a new layered pnictide with distorted Sb square nets

Abstract

While the family of layered pnictides $AB{X}_2$ ($A$ : rare or alkaline earth metals, $B$ : transition metals, $X$ : Sb/Bi) can host Dirac dispersions based on Sb/Bi square nets, nearly half of them has not been synthesized yet for possible combinations of the $A$ and $B$ cations. Here we report the fabrication of EuCdSb${}_2$ with the largest $B$-site ionic radius, which is stabilized for the first time in thin film form by molecular beam deposition. EuCdSb${}_2$ crystallizes in an orthorhombic $Pnma$ structure and exhibits antiferromagnetic ordering of the Eu magnetic moments at $T_{\mathrm{N}}=15$K. Our successful growth will be an important step for further exploring novel Dirac materials using film techniques.

12 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (9)

• Dirac materials
• Quantum Hall effect in a bulk antiferromagnet EuMnBi${}_2$ with magnetically confined two-dimensional Dirac fermions
• Quantum Hall states observed in thin films of Dirac semimetal Cd3As2
• Nontrivial Berry phase in magnetic BaMnSb2 semimetal
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• Magnetic mixed valent semimetal EuZnSb${}_2$ with Dirac states in the band structure
• Molecular beam epitaxy of three-dimensionally thick Dirac semimetal Cd3As2 films
• Crystal growth, microstructure and physical properties of SrMnSb${}_2$