Unconventional electronic phase transition in SnBi₂Te₄: role of anomalous thermal expansion

We propose SnBi₂Te₄to be a novel topological quantum material exhibiting temperature (T) mediated transitions between rich electronic phases. Our combined theoretical and experimental results suggest that SnBi₂Te₄goes from a low-Tsemimetallic phase to a high-T(room temperature) insulating phase via an intermediate metallic phase. Single crystals of SnBi₂Te₄are characterized by various experimental probes including synchrotron based x-ray diffraction, magnetoresistance, Hall effect, Seebeck coefficient and magnetization. X-ray diffraction data confirms an anomalous thermal expansion of the unit cell volume below ∼100 K, which significantly affects the bulk band structure and hence the transport properties. Simulated surface states are found to be topologically robust with varyingT. This indirectly supports the experimentally observed paramagnetic singularity in the entireT-range. The proposed coexistence of such rich phases is a rare occurrence, yet it facilitates a fertile ground to tune them in a material driven by structural changes.