Surface and electronic structure at atomic length scales of the non-symmorphic antiferromagnet Eu${}_5$In${}_2$Sb${}_6$

Abstract

We performed Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy (STM/STS) measurements to investigate the Zintl phase Eu${}_5$In${}_2$Sb${}_6$, a non-symmorphic antiferromagnet. The theoretical prediction of a non-trivial Fermi surface topology stabilized by the non-symmorphic symmetry motivated our research. On the cleaved (010) plane, we obtained striped patterns that can be correlated to the stacking of the [In${}_2$Sb${}_6$]${}^{10-}$ double chains along the crystallographic $c$ axis. The attempted cleavage along the $a$ axis revealed a more complex pattern. We combined the STS measurement on non-reconstructed (010) and (081) surfaces with DFT calculations to further elucidate the electronic structure of Eu${}_5$In${}_2$Sb${}_6$. From our investigations so far, direct experimental evidence of the predicted topological surface states remains elusive.

References in corpus (2)

• Engineering magnetic topological insulators in Eu${}_5{M}_2{X}_6$ Zintls
• Microscopic probe of magnetic polarons in antiferromagnetic Eu${}_5$In${}_2$Sb${}_6$

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Magnetic and electronic properties of Eu${}_5$In${}_2$Sb${}_6$
• Hybrid-order topology in unconventional magnets of Eu-based Zintl compounds with surface-dependent quantum geometry
• Non-collinear 2k antiferromagnetism in the Zintl semiconductor Eu${}_5$In${}_2$Sb${}_6$
• Thermodynamic evidence for polaron stabilization inside the antiferromagnetic order of Eu${}_5$In${}_2$Sb${}_6$
• Magnetocaloric properties of single-crystalline Eu${}_5$In${}_2$Sb${}_6$