Crystal growth, transport, and magnetic properties of antiferromagnetic semimetal <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msub><mml:mi>Ni</mml:mi><mml:mn>3</mml:mn></mml:msub><mml:msub><mml:mi>In</mml:mi><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msub><mml:msub><mml:mi>Se</mml:mi><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msub></mml:mrow></mml:math> crystals

Abstract

The shandite compounds (chemical formula ${M}_{3}{A}_{2}{B}_{2}$) with a kagome structure have recently attracted significant interest due to their novel quantum topological states, such as the ferromagnetic Weyl semimetal in ${\mathrm{Co}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sn}}_{2}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$, and endless Dirac nodal lines in ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{3}{\mathrm{In}}_{2}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$. In this study, we successfully grew ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{3}{\mathrm{In}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ crystal, a sister compound of ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{3}{\mathrm{In}}_{2}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$, and investigated its possible topological state and physical properties. Temperature-dependent resistivity measurements of ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{3}{\mathrm{In}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ demonstrate metallic behavior, which can be accurately described by the Bloch-Gr\"uneisen model. This suggests that electron-phonon scattering dominates the electrical transport in ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{3}{\mathrm{In}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$, which is also supported by Kohler's rule analysis. The Hall resistivity characterizations reveal the coexistence of both electrons and holes in ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{3}{\mathrm{In}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$. Meanwhile, systematic analysis of the de Haas--van Alphen oscillation suggests that there are three Fermi pockets in ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{3}{\mathrm{In}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$, and extracted Berry phases are null. Combining first-principles calculation and experimental analysis, we propose that ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{3}{\mathrm{In}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ is a multiband and topologically trivial semimetal. The evolution from Dirac nodal lines in ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{3}{\mathrm{In}}_{2}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ to trivial topology in ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{3}{\mathrm{In}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ may be attributed to the significantly enhanced spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{3}{\mathrm{In}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$. The SOC effect also leads to a small-angle canting along the $c$ axis of antiferromagnetically aligned spins in the $ab$ plane. Our work provides valuable insights into the quantum states of shandite compounds with a kagome structure.

Topics & Concepts