Zero‐Dimensional Interstitial Electron‐Induced Spin–Orbit Coupling Dirac States in Sandwich Electride
Weizhen Meng,
Jiayu Jiang,
Yalong Jiao,
Fengxian Ma,
Ying Yang,
Zhenxiang Cheng,
Xiaotian Wang
Affiliations
Weizhen Meng
College of Physics Hebei Key Laboratory of Photophysics Research and Application Hebei Normal University Shijiazhuang 050024 China
Jiayu Jiang
State Key Laboratory of Reliability and Intelligence of Electrical Equipment, and School of Materials Science and Engineering Hebei University of Technology Tianjin 300130 China
Yalong Jiao
College of Physics Hebei Key Laboratory of Photophysics Research and Application Hebei Normal University Shijiazhuang 050024 China
Fengxian Ma
College of Physics Hebei Key Laboratory of Photophysics Research and Application Hebei Normal University Shijiazhuang 050024 China
Ying Yang
College of Physics and Electronic Engineering Chongqing Normal University Chongqing 401331 China
Zhenxiang Cheng
Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials (ISEM) Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences University of Wollongong Wollongong New South Wales 2500 Australia
Xiaotian Wang
Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials (ISEM) Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences University of Wollongong Wollongong New South Wales 2500 Australia
The development of inorganic electrides offers new possibilities for studying topological states due to the nonnuclear‐binding properties displayed by interstitial electrons. Herein, a sandwich electride 2[CaCl]+:2e− is designed, featuring a tetragonal lattice structure, including two atomic lattice layers and one interstitial electron layer. The interstitial electrons form nonsymmorphic‐symmetry‐protected Dirac points (DPs) at the X and M points, which are robust against the spin–orbit coupling effect. DPs exhibit an approximately elliptical shape, characterized by a relatively high anisotropy, resulting from the interplay between the electron and atomic layers. In addition, 2[CaCl]+:2e− possesses a lower work function (WF) (3.43 eV), endowing it with robust electron‐supplying characteristics. Due to the low WF and interstitial electrons, 2[CaCl]+:2e− loaded Ru shows outstanding catalytic performance for N2 cleavage. A potential research platform for exploring the formation of topological states and promoting nitrogen cracking in electrides is provided.
