Emergent impervious band crossing in the bulk in topological nodal line semimetal ZrAs$_2$

Abstract: Topological nodal-line semimetals represent a unique class of materials with intriguing electronic structures and rich of symmetries, hosting electronic states with nontrivial topological properties. Among these, ZrAs$_2$ stands out, characterized by its nodal lines in a momentum space, governed by nonsymmorphic symmetries. This study integrates angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) with density functional theory (DFT) calculations to explore the electronic states of ZrAs$_2$. Our study provides experimental evidence of nonsymmorphic symmetry-protected band crossing and nodal lines in ZrAs$_2$. In ARPES scans, we observed a distinctive surface and bulk states at different photon energies associated with nodal lines. Our results, supported by calculations based on DFT, unveil such impervious band crossing anchored at specific points in the Brillouin zone, with particular emphasis on the S point. Surface bands and bulk states near the crossing are elucidated through slab calculations, corroborating experimental findings. These findings enhance our understanding of the electronic structure of ZrAs$_2$.