Spin-degenerate bulk bands and topological surface states associated with Dirac nodal lines in RuO2
Micro-focused ARPES and first-principles calculations reveal that RuO2 exhibits spin-degenerate bulk bands inconsistent with altermagnetism, while its observed surface states near the Fermi level arise from topological Dirac nodal lines, suggesting these features are crucial for understanding the material's spintronic and catalytic properties.