According to the team, further analysis revealed that electrons in ZrSiS lose mass when moving in one direction but gain it when shifting perpendicularly. The material’s electronic structure creates pathways where electrons behave like massless particles on linear paths but gain mass at intersections.
The layered structure of ZrSiS, similar to graphite and graphene, contributes to these unique properties. The discovery highlights the potential for semi-Dirac fermions in advancing technologies like batteries, sensors, and biomedical devices.
“It is a layered material, which means once we can figure out how to have a single layer cut of this compound, we can harness the power of semi-Dirac fermions, control its properties with the same precision as graphene. But the most thrilling part of this experiment is that the data cannot be fully explained yet. There are many unsolved mysteries in what we observed, so that is what we are working to understand,” said Shao, in a statement.