Dirac nodal line induced anomalous low-energy acoustic plasmons on beryllium (0001) surface

Abstract

Beryllium is a simple hexagonal metal but exhibits anomalous low-energy acoustic plasmons on its (0001) surface, which are radically distinct from the conventional metal surface plasmons. Although the plasmons on Be(0001) have been extensively studied, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Here, through first-principles calculations combined with model analysis, we unambiguously demonstrate that it is the topological Dirac nodal line induced surface states that result in the anomalous low-energy acoustic plasmons on Be(0001), rather than the commonly believed Shockley surface states. Our study not only clarifies the origin of the puzzling anomalous plasmons on Be(0001), but also provides a sound theoretical interpretation for the appearance of low-energy acoustic surface plasmons on the noble metal (111) surfaces. This work suggests that the topological nodal line semimetals offer a potential platform for obtaining low-energy acoustic plasmons.