Optical conductivity of multifold fermions: The case of RhSi

Maulana LZ, Manna K, Uykur E, Felser C, Dressel M, Pronin AV (2020)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2020

Journal

Physical Review Research American Physical Society

Book Volume: 2

Article Number: 023018

Journal Issue: 2

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevResearch.2.023018

Abstract

We measured the reflectivity of the multifold semimetal RhSi in a frequency range from 80 to 20000cm-1 (10 meV-2.5 eV) at temperatures down to 10 K. The optical conductivity, calculated from the reflectivity, is dominated by the free-carrier (Drude) contribution below 1000 cm-1 (120 meV) and by interband transitions at higher frequencies. The temperature-induced changes in the spectra are generally weak: only the Drude bands narrow upon cooling, with an unscreened plasma frequency that is constant with temperature at approximately 1.4 eV, in agreement with a weak temperature dependence of the free-carrier concentration determined by Hall measurements. The interband portion of conductivity exhibits two linear-in-frequency regions below 5000 cm-1 (∼600 meV), a broad flat maximum at around 6000 cm-1 (750 meV), and a further increase starting around 10 000 cm-1 (∼1.2 eV). We assign the linear behavior of the interband conductivity to transitions between the linear bands near the band crossing points. Our findings are in accord with the predictions for the low-energy conductivity behavior in multifold semimetals and with earlier computations based on band structure calculations for RhSi.

Involved external institutions

Universität Stuttgart DE Germany (DE) Max-Planck-Institut für Chemische Physik fester Stoffe (MPI CPfS) / Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Maulana, L.Z., Manna, K., Uykur, E., Felser, C., Dressel, M., & Pronin, A.V. (2020). Optical conductivity of multifold fermions: The case of RhSi. Physical Review Research, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.2.023018

MLA:

Maulana, L. Z., et al. "Optical conductivity of multifold fermions: The case of RhSi." Physical Review Research 2.2 (2020).

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