Topological Weyl phase transition in Mo$_x$W$_{1-x}$Te$_2$

Abstract

Topological phases of matter exhibit phase transitions between distinct topological classes. These phase transitions are exotic in that they do not fall within the traditional Ginzburg-Landau paradigm but are instead associated with changes in bulk topological invariants and associated topological surface states. In the case of a Weyl semimetal this phase transition is particularly unusual because it involves the creation of bulk chiral charges and the nucleation of topological Fermi arcs. Here we image a topological phase transition to a Weyl semimetal in Mo$_x$W$_{1-x}$Te$_2$ with changing composition $x$. Using pump-probe ultrafast angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (pump-probe ARPES), we directly observe the nucleation of a topological Fermi arc at $x_c \sim 7\%$, showing the critical point of a topological Weyl phase transition. For Mo dopings $x < x_c$, we observe no Fermi arc, while for $x > x_c$, the Fermi arc gradually extends as the bulk Weyl points separate. Our results demonstrate for the first time the creation of magnetic monopoles in momentum space. Our work opens the way to manipulating chiral charge and topological Fermi arcs in Weyl semimetals for transport experiments and device applications.