Surface and electronic structure at atomic length scales of the non-symmorphic antiferromagnet Eu$_5$In$_2$Sb$_6$

Abstract

We performed Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy (STM/STS) measurements to investigate the Zintl phase Eu$_5$In$_2$Sb$_6$, a non-symmorphic antiferromagnet. The theoretical prediction of a non-trivial Fermi surface topology stabilized by the non-symmorphic symmetry motivated our research. On the cleaved (010) plane, we obtained striped patterns that can be correlated to the stacking of the [In$_2$Sb$_6$]$^{10-}$ double chains along the crystallographic $c$ axis. The attempted cleavage along the $a$ axis revealed a more complex pattern. We combined the STS measurement on non-reconstructed (010) and (081) surfaces with DFT calculations to further elucidate the electronic structure of Eu$_5$In$_2$Sb$_6$. From our investigations so far, direct experimental evidence of the predicted topological surface states remains elusive.