Optical spectroscopy of the Weyl semimetal TaAs

We present a systematic study of both the temperature and frequency dependence of the optical response in TaAs, a material that has recently been realized to host the Weyl semimetal state. Our study reveals that the optical conductivity of TaAs features a narrow Drude response alongside a conspicuous linear dependence on frequency. The weight of the Drude peak decreases upon cooling, following a T2 temperature dependence, in good agreement with theoretical predictions. Two linear components with distinct slopes dominate the low-temperature optical conductivity. A comparison between our experimental results and theoretical calculations suggests that the linear conductivity below ∼230 cm-1 arises purely from interband transitions near the Weyl points, providing rich information about the Weyl semimetal state in TaAs.