January 6, 2015 | Hongming Weng,1,2, Chen Fang,3 Zhong Fang,1,2 Andrei Bernevig,4 and Xi Dai1,2
The paper by Weng et al. explores the Weyl semimetal (WSM) phase in non-centrosymmetric transition metal monophosphides, including TaAs, TaP, NbAs, and NbP. Using first-principles calculations, the authors identify twelve pairs of Weyl points in the Brillouin zone (BZ) for each material. The absence of inversion symmetry leads to band inversions in mirror-invariant planes, resulting in gapless nodal rings. The strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in these materials opens full gaps in the mirror planes, generating nonzero mirror Chern numbers and Weyl points off the mirror planes. The study also predicts Fermi arc structures on the (001) and (100) surfaces, which are characterized by their interesting shapes and potential for future experimental studies. The authors discuss the crystal structure, band structure, and topological invariants of these materials, emphasizing the role of mirror planes and glide mirror planes in defining the Weyl points and Fermi arcs. The findings highlight the unique properties of WSMs in nonmagnetic materials, making them promising candidates for experimental investigations.The paper by Weng et al. explores the Weyl semimetal (WSM) phase in non-centrosymmetric transition metal monophosphides, including TaAs, TaP, NbAs, and NbP. Using first-principles calculations, the authors identify twelve pairs of Weyl points in the Brillouin zone (BZ) for each material. The absence of inversion symmetry leads to band inversions in mirror-invariant planes, resulting in gapless nodal rings. The strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in these materials opens full gaps in the mirror planes, generating nonzero mirror Chern numbers and Weyl points off the mirror planes. The study also predicts Fermi arc structures on the (001) and (100) surfaces, which are characterized by their interesting shapes and potential for future experimental studies. The authors discuss the crystal structure, band structure, and topological invariants of these materials, emphasizing the role of mirror planes and glide mirror planes in defining the Weyl points and Fermi arcs. The findings highlight the unique properties of WSMs in nonmagnetic materials, making them promising candidates for experimental investigations.