Multiple surface states, nontrivial band topology and antiferromagnetism in GdAuAl₄Ge₂

Magnetic topological states of matter provide a fertile playground for emerging topological physics and phenomena. The current main focus is on materials whose magnetism stems from 3d magnetic transition elements, e.g. , MnBi 2 Te 4 , Fe 3 Sn 2 , and Co 3 Sn 2 S 2 . In contrast, topological materials with the magnetism from rare earth elements remain largely unexplored. Here we report rare earth antiferromagnet GdAuAl 4 Ge 2 as a candidate magnetic topological metal. Angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and first-principles calculations have revealed multiple bulk bands crossing the Fermi level and pairs of low energy surface states. According to the parity and Wannier charge center analyses, these bulk bands possess nontrivial Z 2 topology, establishing a strong topological insulator state in the nonmagnetic phase. Furthermore, the surface band pairs exhibit strong termination dependence which provides insight into their origin. Our results suggest GdAuAl 4 Ge 2 as a rare earth platform to explore the interplay between band topology, magnetism and f electron correlation, calling for further study targeting on its magnetic structure, magnetic topology state, transport behavior, and microscopic properties.