Three-Dimensional Semi-Dirac Semiconductor in a Distorted C 60 Solid with Gate-Tunable Quasi-1D Ultrahigh-Speed Transport
Abstract
Combining switchable bandgaps with Dirac-like mobility remains a grand challenge for high-performance electronics. Here we propose a “3D semi-Dirac semiconductor” (3D-SDS) paradigm, integrating an intrinsic bandgap with gate-tunable, low-dimensional Dirac transport. By simulating uniaxial compression of layered C 60 solids, we predict a stable b ody- c entered o rthorhombic distorted C 60 solid (bco-dC 60 ) as a concrete realization, whose simulated XRD pattern aligns with unassigned experimental peaks from diamond-rich coatings. Its low-energy conduction bands form a broad and clean 3D semi-Dirac cone at the phase boundary between a trivial insulator and a topological nodal loop─well-captured by a two-band tight-binding model from a cluster-assembled hierarchical lattice. Furthermore, bco-dC 60 exhibits extreme electrical anisotropy with ∼95% axial polarization, enabling quasi-1D Dirac transport in the bulk. Generalizing these findings into a generalized k·p model and symmetry analysis, we establish the conceptual and material foundations for topological transistors, unveiling a cluster-assembly route to unite logic switching with ultrahigh-speed anisotropic transport.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Topological Materials and Phenomena
Graphene research and applications
2D Materials and Applications
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Nano Letters
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 15
- Pages
- 5282–5289
- Publication date
- 7 April 2026
- Language
- EN