Discovery of $${\hat{\boldsymbol{C}}}_2$$ C ̂ 2 rotation anomaly in topological crystalline insulator SrPb

Topological crystalline insulators (TCIs) are insulating electronic states with nontrivial topology protected by crystalline symmetries. Recently, theory has proposed new classes of TCIs protected by rotation symmetries $$\hat C_n$$ , which have surface rotation anomaly evading the fermion doubling theorem, i.e., n instead of 2n Dirac cones on the surface preserving the rotation symmetry. Here, we report the first realization of the $$\hat C_2$$ rotation anomaly in a binary compound SrPb. Our first-principles calculations reveal two massless Dirac fermions protected by the combination of time-reversal symmetry $$\hat T$$ and $$\hat C_{2y}$$ on the (010) surface. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we identify two Dirac surface states inside the bulk band gap of SrPb, confirming the $$\hat C_2$$ rotation anomaly in the new classes of TCIs. The findings enrich the classification of topological phases, which pave the way for exploring exotic behavior of the new classes of TCIs. New class of topological crystalline insulators (TCI) have been proposed, but are yet to be experimentally evidenced. Here, the authors evidence two massless Dirac fermions protected by the combination of time-reversal symmetry T and Ĉ2y on the (010) surface of SrPb, confirming the Ĉ2 rotation anomaly in the new class of TCIs.