Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy Study of Topological Quantum Materials

The recently discovered topological quantum materials (TQMs) have electronic structures that can be characterized by certain topological invariants. In these novel materials, the unusual bulk and surface electrons not only give rise to many exotic physical phenomena but also foster potential new technological applications. To characterize the unusual electronic structures of these new materials, investigators have used angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) as an effective experimental tool to directly visualize the unique bulk and surface electronic structures of TQMs. In this review, we first give a brief introduction of TQMs and ARPES, which is followed by examples of the application of ARPES to different TQMs ranging from topological insulators to Dirac and Weyl semimetals. We conclude with a brief perspective of the current development of ARPES and its potential application in the study of TQMs.