Critical thickness for the emergence of Weyl features in Co3Sn2S2 thin films

Abstract

Magnetic Weyl semimetals are quantum phases of matter arising from the interplay of linearly dispersive bands, spin-orbit coupling, and time reversal symmetry breaking. This can be realised, for example, in Co₃Sn₂S₂, based on a cobalt kagome lattice and characterised by intriguing phenomena such as large anomalous Hall effect, Nernst effect, and water oxidation. Here, we attempt to determine the robustness of the twofold necessary conditions for the emergence of the magnetic Weyl semimetal phase in Co₃Sn₂S₂ ultrathin films. Except for two-dimensional layered materials, a reduction of thickness generally makes it difficult to develop topological character and ferromagnetic long-range order. In Co₃Sn₂S₂ films, while ferromagnetic ordering appears robustly even in average thicknesses of one or two unit cells with island-like polycrystalline domains, the anomalous Hall conductivity appears only above a critical thickness of approximately 10 nm. The emergence of surface conduction and large anomalous Hall effect implies the distinct contribution of Weyl nodes and their Berry curvature. These findings reveal an exotic feature of Weyl physics in thin-film based superstructures as well as a potential for future applications in electronic devices.

The coexistence of ferromagnetism and topology has recently attracted intense interest. Here, the thickness dependence of magnetisation and anomalous Hall conductivity is investigated in Co₃Sn₂S₂ thin films, revealing a critical thickness of 10 nm for the emergence of the magnetic Weyl semimetal phase.