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

Abstract

We propose SnBi2Te4 to be a novel topological quantum material exhibiting temperature (T) mediated transitions between rich electronic phases. Our combined theoretical and experimental results suggest that SnBi2Te4 goes from a low-T semimetallic phase to a high-T (room temperature) insulating phase via an intermediate metallic phase. Single crystals of SnBi2Te4 are 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 varying T. This indirectly supports the experimentally observed paramagnetic singularity in the entire T -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.