Unveiling Three Types of Fermions in a Nodal Ring Topological Semimetal through Magneto-Optical Transitions
Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 086901 – Published 19 August, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/wfzd-7r9n
Abstract
We investigate the quasiparticles of a single nodal ring semimetal through axis-resolved magneto-optical measurements. We observe three types of Landau levels scaling as , , and that correspond to Dirac, semi-Dirac, and classical fermions, respectively. Through theoretical analysis, we identify the distinct origins of these three types of fermions present within the nodal ring. In particular, semi-Dirac fermions—a novel type of fermion that can give rise to a range of unique quantum phenomena—emerge from the end points of the nodal ring where the energy band disperses linearly along one direction and quadratically along the perpendicular direction, a feature not achievable in nodal point or line structures. The capacity of the nodal ring to simultaneously host multiple fermion types, including semi-Dirac fermions, establishes it as a valuable platform to expand the understanding of topological semimetals.