Electronic structure of a nodal line semimetal candidate TbSbTe

Abstract: The LnSbTe (Ln = Lanthanides) family, like isostructural ZrSiS type compounds, has emerged as a fertile playground for exploring the interaction of electronic correlations and magnetic ordering with the nodal line band topology. Here, we report a detailed electronic band structure investigation of TbSbTe, corroborated by electrical transport, thermodynamic, and magnetic studies. Temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility and thermodynamic transport studies indicate the onset of antiferromagnetic ordering below TN = 5.1 K. The electronic band structure study, carried out with high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements aided with density functional theory based first-principles calculations reveals presence of nodal lines in the GammaX high symmetry direction, forming a diamond-shaped nodal plane around Gamma high symmetry point. A strongly photon energy dependent nodal feature located at the X point of the surface Brillouin zone, indicating an extended nodal line along X R direction, is also observed. This study elucidates the intricate interplay among symmetry-protected band characteristics, the influence of spin orbit coupling, magnetism, and topological properties.