Prediction of novel two-dimensional Dirac nodal line semimetals in AlB and AlB monolayers

• Published in: Nanoscale 2022-08, Vol.14 (31), p.1127-11283
• Main Authors: Abedi, Saeid, Taghizadeh Sisakht, Esmaeil, Hashemifar, S. Javad, Ghafari Cherati, Nima, Abdolhosseini Sarsari, Ismaeil, Peeters, Francois M
• Format: Article
• ISSN: 2040-3364; 2040-3372
• DOI: 10.1039/d2nr00888b

Topological semimetal phases in two-dimensional (2D) materials have gained widespread interest due to their potential applications in novel nanoscale devices. Despite the growing number of studies on 2D topological nodal lines (NLs), candidates with significant topological features that combine nontrivial topological semimetal phase with superconductivity are still rare. Herein, we predict Al 2 B 2 and AlB 4 monolayers as new 2D nonmagnetic Dirac nodal line semimetals with several novel features. Our extensive electronic structure calculations combined with analytical studies reveal that, in addition to multiple Dirac points, these 2D configurations host various highly dispersed NLs around the Fermi level, all of which are semimetal states protected by time-reversal and in-plane mirror symmetries. The most intriguing NL in Al 2 B 2 encloses the K point and crosses the Fermi level, showing a considerable dispersion and thus providing a fresh playground to explore exotic properties in dispersive Dirac nodal lines. More strikingly, for the AlB 4 monolayer, we provide the first evidence for a set of 2D nonmagnetic open type-II NLs coexisting with superconductivity at a rather high transition temperature. The coexistence of superconductivity and nontrivial band topology in AlB 4 not only makes it a promising material to exhibit novel topological superconducting phases, but also a rather large energy dispersion of type-II nodal lines in this configuration may offer a platform for the realization of novel topological features in the 2D limit. Monolayers Al 2 B 2 and AlB 4 are proposed to possess several nodal lines with unique features. The coexistence of superconductivity and nontrivial band topology in AlB 4 makes it a promising material to exhibit novel topological superconducting phases.