Electronic switching of topology in LaSbTe

Nature Materials (2025)Cite this article In the past two decades, various classes of topological materials have been discovered, yet the deliberate control of topology in a single material remains largely unexplored. Here we demonstrate full experimental control over the topological nodal loop in the square-net material LaSbxTe2−x by chemical substitution and electron doping. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we show that changing the antimony concentration x from 0.86 to 1.0 in the bulk opens a gap larger than 400 meV in the nodal loop. Symmetry analysis establishes that this effect originates from the breaking of n glide symmetry in the square-net layer. The same topological phase transition can also be driven reversibly on the surface of LaSbxTe2−x by in situ chemical gating via potassium deposition, enabling on-demand switching of topology. The control parameter for both the bulk and surface transition is the electron concentration, providing a pathway towards applications based on switching topology by electrostatic gating.This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription $32.99 / 30 days cancel any timeSubscribe to this journal Receive 12 print issues and online access $259.00 per yearonly $21.58 per issueBuy this articlePrices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkoutAll data needed to evaluate the conclusions in this study are available in the article and its Supplementary Information. The raw ARPES data acquired in this study are available via Zenodo at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17059971 (ref. 44). All other data are available from the corresponding authors upon request.Zhang, H. et al. Topological insulators in Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 with a single Dirac cone on the surface. Nat. Phys. 5, 438–442 (2009).Article CAS Google Scholar Hasan, M. Z. & Kane, C. L. Colloquium: Topological insulators. Rev. Mod. Phys. 82, 3045–3067 (2010).Article CAS Google Scholar Ando, Y. & Fu, L. Topological crystalline insulators and topological superconductors: from concepts to materials. Annu. Rev. Condens. Matter Phys. 6, 361–381 (2015).Article CAS Google Scholar Bernevig, B. A., Hughes, T. L. & Zhang, S.-C. Quantum spin Hall effect and topological phase transition in HgTe quantum wells. Science 314, 1757–1761 (2006).Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar König, M. et al. Quantum spin Hall insulator state in HgTe quantum wells. Science 318, 766–770 (2007).Article PubMed Google Scholar Wu, S. et al. Observation of the quantum spin Hall effect up to 100 kelvin in a monolayer crystal. Science 359, 76–79 (2018).Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Chang, C.-Z. et al. Experimental observation of the quantum anomalous Hall effect in a magnetic topological insulator. Science 340, 167–170 (2013).Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Liang, T. et al. Ultrahigh mobility and giant magnetoresistance in the Dirac semimetal Cd3As2. Nat. Mater. 14, 280–284 (2014).Article PubMed Google Scholar Chen, Y. L. et al. Massive Dirac fermion on the surface of a magnetically doped topological insulator. Science 329, 659–662 (2010).Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Zhang, J. et al. Topology-driven magnetic quantum phase transition in topological insulators. Science 340, 1582–1586 (2013).Article Google Scholar Zeljkovic, I. et al. Dirac mass generation from crystal symmetry breaking on the surfaces of topological crystalline insulators. Nat. Mater. 14, 318–324 (2015).Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Xu, S.-Y. et al. Topological phase transition and texture inversion in a tunable topological insulator. Science 332, 560–564 (2011).Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Xu, S.-Y. et al. Observation of a topological crystalline insulator phase and topological phase transition in Pb1−xSnxTe. Nat. Commun. 3, 1192 (2012).Article PubMed Google Scholar Wojek, B. M. et al. Direct observation and temperature control of the surface Dirac gap in a topological crystalline insulator. Nat. Commun. 6, 8463 (2015).Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Collins, J. L. et al. Electric-field-tuned topological phase transition in ultrathin Na3Bi. Nature 564, 390–394 (2018).Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Wang, Y. et al. Spectroscopic evidence for the realization of a genuine topological nodal-line semimetal in LaSbTe. Phys. Rev. B 103, 125131 (2021).Article CAS Google Scholar Deng, J. et al. Twisted nodal wires and three-dimensional quantum spin Hall effect in distorted square-net compounds. Phys. Rev. B 105, 224103 (2022).Article CAS Google Scholar Klemenz, S., Lei, S. & Schoop, L. M. Topological semimetals in square-net materials. Annu. Rev. Mater. Res. 49, 185–206 (2019).Article CAS Google Scholar DiMasi, E., Foran, B., Aronson, M. C. & Lee, S. Stability of charge-density waves under continuous variation of band filling in LaTe2−xSbx (0 ≤ x ≤ 1). Phys. Rev. B 54, 13587–13596 (1996).Article CAS Google Scholar Singha, R. et al. Evolving devil’s staircase magnetization from tunable charge density waves in nonsymmorphic Dirac semimetals. Adv. Mater. 33, 2103476 (2021).Article CAS Google Scholar Lei, S. et al. Charge density waves and magnetism in topological semimetal candidates GdSbxTe2−x−δ. Adv. Quantum Technol. 2, 1900045 (2019).Article CAS Google Scholar Pandey, K., Basnet, R., Wang, J., Da, B. & Hu, J. Evolution of electronic and magnetic properties in the topological semimetal SmSbxTe2−x. Phys. Rev. B 105, 155139 (2022).Article CAS Google Scholar Qian, Y. et al. Layer construction of topological crystalline insulator LaSbTe. Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. 63, 107011 (2020).Article CAS Google Scholar Brouet, V. et al. Fermi surface reconstruction in the CDW state of CeTe3 observed by photoemission. Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 126405 (2004).Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Brouet, V. et al. Angle-resolved photoemission study of the evolution of band structure and charge density wave properties in RTe3 (R = Y, La, Ce, Sm, Gd, Tb, and Dy). Phys. Rev. B 77, 235104 (2008).Article Google Scholar Leonhardt, A. et al. Symmetry-enforced topological band crossings in orthorhombic crystals: classification and materials discovery. Phys. Rev. Mater. 5, 124202 (2021).Article CAS Google Scholar Hirschmann, M. M., Leonhardt, A., Kilic, B., Fabini, D. H. & Schnyder, A. P. Symmetry-enforced band crossings in tetragonal materials: Dirac and Weyl degeneracies on points, lines, and planes. Phys. Rev. Mater. 5, 054202 (2021).Article CAS Google Scholar Shin, K. Y., Brouet, V., Ru, N., Shen, Z. X. & Fisher, I. R. Electronic structure and charge-density wave formation in LaTe1.95 and CeTe2.00. Phys. Rev. B 72, 085132 (2005).Article Google Scholar Malliakas, C. D. & Kanatzidis, M. G. Divergence in the behavior of the charge density wave in RETe3 (RE = rare-earth element) with temperature and RE element. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128, 12612–12613 (2006).Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Johannes, M. D. & Mazin, I. I. Fermi surface nesting and the origin of charge density waves in metals. Phys. Rev. B 77, 165135 (2008).Article Google Scholar Yan, J.-Q., Sales, B. C., Susner, M. A. & McGuire, M. A. Flux growth in a horizontal configuration: an analog to vapor transport growth. Phys. Rev. Mater. 1, 023402 (2017).Article Google Scholar Momma, K. & Izumi, F. VESTA 3 for three-dimensional visualization of crystal, volumetric and morphology data. J. Appl. Crystallogr. 44, 1272–1276 (2011).Article CAS Google Scholar Blaha, P. et al. WIEN2k: an APW+lo program for calculating the properties of solids. J. Chem. Phys. 152, 074101 (2020).Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Blaha, P. et al. WIEN2k, An Augmented Plane Wave + Local Orbitals Program for Calculating Crystal Properties (Karlheinz Schwarz, Vienna University of Technology, 2021).Perdew, J. P., Burke, K. & Ernzerhof, M. Generalized gradient approximation made simple. Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 3865–3868 (1996).Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Giannozzi, P. et al. QUANTUM ESPRESSO: a modular and open-source software project for quantum simulations of materials. J. Phys. Condens. Matter 21, 395502 (2009).Article PubMed Google Scholar Giannozzi, P. et al. Advanced capabilities for materials modelling with QUANTUM ESPRESSO. J. Phys. Condens. Matter 29, 465901 (2017).Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Pacilè, D. et al. Narrowing of d bands of FeCo layers intercalated under graphene. Appl. Phys. Lett. 118, 121602 (2021).Article Google Scholar Kresse, G. & Furthmüller, J. Efficiency of ab-initio total energy calculations for metals and semiconductors using a plane-wave basis set. Comput. Mater. Sci. 6, 15–50 (1996).Article CAS Google Scholar Kresse, G. & Furthmüller, J. Efficient iterative schemes for ab initio total-energy calculations using a plane-wave basis set. Phys. Rev. B 54, 11169–11186 (1996).Article CAS Google Scholar Kresse, G. & Joubert, D. From ultrasoft pseudopotentials to the projector augmented-wave method. Phys. Rev. B 59, 1758–1775 (1999).Article CAS Google Scholar Blöchl, P. E. Projector augmented-wave method. Phys. Rev. B 50, 17953–17979 (1994).Article Google Scholar Togo, A. First-principles phonon calculations with phonopy and phono3py. J. Phys. Soc. Jpn 92, 012001 (2023).Article Google Scholar Bannies, J. Datasets of the manuscript ‘Electronic switching of topology in LaSbTe’. Zenodo https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17059971 (2025).Download referencesWe thank A. von der Handt (UBC Earth Sciences) for assistance with the wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy measurements.

This research was undertaken thanks in part to funding from the Max Planck-UBC-UTokyo Centre for Quantum Materials and the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, Quantum Materials and Future Technologies Program. This project is also funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC); the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI); the British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF); the Department of National Defence (DND); the Mitacs Accelerate Program; the Moore EPiQS Program (A.D.); the Canada Research Chairs Program (A.D.); and the CIFAR Quantum Materials Program (A.D.).

This research is funded in part by a QuantEmX grant from ICAM and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation through Grant GBMF9616 to M.M. and H.-H.K. In addition, J.B. and H.-H.K. acknowledge the receipt of support from the CLSI Student Travel Support Program. J.W.S. was supported in part by a Provost’s Research Fellowship from Farmingdale State College. Use of the Canadian Light Source (QMSC), a national research facility of the University of Saskatchewan, is supported by CFI, the NSERC, the National Research Council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Government of Saskatchewan and the University of Saskatchewan.M. ZonnoPresent address: Synchrotron SOLEIL, Saint-Aubin, FranceQuantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaJ. Bannies, M. Michiardi, H.-H. Kung, S. Godin, M. Oudah, S. Zhdanovich, I. S. Elfimov, A. Damascelli & M. C. AronsonDepartment of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaJ. BanniesDepartment of Physics & Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaM. Michiardi, H.-H. Kung, S. Godin, S. Zhdanovich, I. S. Elfimov, A. Damascelli & M. C. AronsonDepartment of Physics, Farmingdale State College, Farmingdale, NY, USAJ. W. SimonsonCanadian Light Source Inc., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CanadaM. Zonno & S. GorovikovSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarJ.B. grew the single crystals and characterized them. J.W.S. performed the single-crystal XRD and solved the crystal structures. J.B., M.M. and H.-H.K. conducted the ARPES experiments with help from M.Z., S. Gorovikov and S.Z. The ARPES data were analysed by J.B. with input from M.M., H.-H.K. and A.D. The core-level spectra were analysed by S. Godin, and J.B. and I.S.E. performed the DFT calculations. J.B., M.M., H.-H.K., M.O., A.D. and M.C.A. discussed the results. J.B., M.M., H.-H.K., A.D. and M.C.A. wrote the paper, with contributions from all authors.Correspondence to J. Bannies, A. Damascelli or M. C. Aronson.The authors declare no competing interests.Nature Materials thanks the anonymous reviewers for their contribution to the peer review of this work.Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.Supplementary Discussion, Figs. 1–7 and Tables 1 and 2.Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.Reprints and permissionsBannies, J., Michiardi, M., Kung, HH. et al. Electronic switching of topology in LaSbTe. Nat. Mater. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02396-3Download citationReceived: 23 July 2024Accepted: 02 October 2025Published: 12 November 2025Version of record: 12 November 2025DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02396-3Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative