Robust Type-II Weyl Semimetal Phase in Transition Metal Diphosphides XP_{2} (X=Mo, W)

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Topological Materials

Background:

• Type-II Weyl points occur at the boundary of electron and hole pockets.
• Type-II Weyl semimetals are theorized to have unique chiral anomalies and thermodynamic properties compared to type-I.
• Understanding these materials is crucial for advancing topological electronics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To predict and characterize a type-II Weyl semimetal phase in transition metal diphosphides.
• To investigate the topological properties and potential applications of these novel materials.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical prediction of electronic band structures.
• Analysis of Weyl point characteristics and chirality.
• Identification of topological Fermi arcs.

Main Results:

• Prediction of type-II Weyl semimetal phase in MoP₂ and WP₂.
• Identification of four pairs of type-II Weyl points with consistent chirality.
• Observation of robust topological phase and long topological Fermi arcs.

Conclusions:

• MoP₂ and WP₂ are promising candidates for type-II Weyl semimetals.
• The robust topological nature and accessible Fermi arcs facilitate experimental verification.
• These findings open new possibilities for exploring exotic quantum phenomena and novel electronic devices.