Optical transitions of a single nodal ring in SrAs$_3$: radially and axially resolved characterization

Abstract

SrAs$_3$ is a unique nodal-line semimetal that contains only a single nodal ring in the Brillouin zone, uninterrupted by any trivial bands near the Fermi energy. We performed axis-resolved optical reflection measurements on SrAs$_3$ and observed that the optical conductivity exhibits flat absorption up to 129 meV in both the radial and axial directions, confirming the robustness of the universal power-law behavior of the nodal ring. Furthermore, in conjunction with model and first-principles calculations, the axis-resolved optical conductivity unveiled fundamental properties beyond the flat absorption, including the overlap energy of the topological bands, the spin-orbit coupling gap along the nodal ring, and the geometric properties of the nodal ring such as the average ring radius, ring ellipticity, and velocity anisotropy. In addition, our temperature-dependent measurements revealed a spectral weight transfer between intraband and interband transitions, indicating a possible violation of the optical sum rule within the measured energy range.