Linear Magnetoresistance and Type-I Superconductivity in -IrSn₄

Layered material p-IrSn4 (I41/acd, D204h, #142), whose electron bands have symmetry-enforced Dirac points, was investigated using high-quality single crystals. It exhibits a pronounced linear field-dependence of magnetoresistance (LMR), which cannot be explained by currently existing models. Structures in the field-angle dependence of magnetoresistance and Hall resistivity are attributable to the Fermi surface topology; the presence of open orbits is inferred. At the superconducting (SC) transition, the specific-heat jump exhibits a significant increase in applied fields, revealing the type-I SC nature. This feature is attributable to the high Fermi velocity of linearly dispersive multibands. To clarify the mechanism of the puzzling LMR, investigations into the topological nature of those multibands in applied fields are highly desired.