Putting a spin on topological matter

One of the most promising ways of creating computational devices beyond the limits of the current semiconductor technology, is being able to utilize the properties of the electron spin. This field of technology has been named spintronics. In this light, topological matter comes to mind since it has a fundamental property called spin-momentum locking. The fact that the spin orientation is directly coupled to the momentum direction of the charge carrier, could be the key to unlocking the field of spintronics. This thesis explores the role that the electron spin has on the electronic properties of a few recently discovered topological materials: BiSbTeSe2, a topological insulator designed to have very little contribution of the bulk to the electronic transport. Secondly, I study ZrSiS, a nodal-line semimetal that shows hints of a trivial to topological transition under a certain magnetic field. And nally, I investigate PdTe2, a material known to be both a superconductor and a Dirac semimetal, which makes it a good candidate for being a highly sought-after topological superconductor.