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Monoclinic EuSn$_2$As$_2$: A Novel High-Pressure Network Structure

Materials Science 2021-04-21 v2

Abstract

The layered crystal of EuSn2_2As2_2 has a Bi2_2Te3_3-type structure in rhombohedral (R3ˉmR\bar{3}m) symmetry and has been confirmed to be an intrinsic magnetic topological insulator at ambient conditions. Combining {\it ab initio} calculations and \emph{in-situ} x-ray diffraction measurements, we identify a new monoclinic EuSn2_2As2_2 structure in C2/mC2/m symmetry above \sim14 GPa. It has a three-dimensional network made up of honeycomb-like Sn sheets and zigzag As chains, transformed from the layered EuSn2_2As2_2 via a two-stage reconstruction mechanism with the connecting of Sn-Sn and As-As atoms successively between the buckled SnAs layers. Its dynamic structural stability has been verified by phonon mode analysis. Electrical resistance measurements reveal an insulator-metal-superconductor transition at low temperature around 5 and 15 GPa, respectively, according to the structural conversion, and the superconductivity with a \textit{T}C{\rm {_C}} value of 4\sim 4 K is observed up to 30.8 GPa. These results establish a high-pressure EuSn2_2As2_2 phase with intriguing structural and electronic properties and expand our understandings about the layered magnetic topological insulators.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2102.00437,
  title  = {Monoclinic EuSn$_2$As$_2$: A Novel High-Pressure Network Structure},
  author = {Lin Zhao and Changjiang Yi and Chang-Tian Wang and Zhenhua Chi and Yunyu Yin and Xiaoli Ma and Jianhong Dai and Pengtao Yang and Binbin Yue and Jinguang Cheng and Fang Hong and Jian-Tao Wang and Yonghao Han and Youguo Shi and Xiaohui Yu},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2102.00437},
  year   = {2021}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-23T22:41:50.825Z