Spin Chirality Tuning and Topological Semimetals in Strained HgTe(x)S(1-x).

ABSTRACT

By means of detailed electronic structure calculations, we show that strained HgTe(x)S(1-x) alloys show a surprisingly rich topological phase diagram. In the strong topological insulator phase, the spin chirality of the topological nontrivial surface states can be reversed by adjusting the alloy concentration x and the strain. On top of this, we predict two semimetallic topological phases, namely, a Dirac semimetal and a Weyl semimetal. The topological phases are characterized by their Z2 invariants and their mirror Chern numbers.