  3D Dirac semimetals are an emerging class of materials that possess
topological electronic states with a Dirac dispersion in their bulk. In
nodal-line Dirac semimetals, the conductance and valence bands connect along a
closed path in momentum space, leading to the prediction of pseudospin vortex
rings and pseudospin skyrmions. Here, we use Fourier transform scanning
tunneling spectroscopy (FT-STS) at 4.5 K to resolve quasiparticle interference
(QPI) patterns at single defect centers on the surface of the line nodal
semimetal zirconium silicon sulfide (ZrSiS). Our QPI measurements show
pseudospin conservation at energies close to the line node. In addition, we
determine the Fermi velocity to be $\hbar v_F = 2.65 \pm 0.10$ eV {\AA} in the
{\Gamma}-M direction ~300 meV above the Fermi energy $E_F$, and the line node
to be ~140 meV above $E_F$. More importantly, we find that certain scatterers
can introduce energy-dependent non-preservation of pseudospins, giving rise to
effective scattering between states with opposite valley pseudospin deep inside
valence and conduction bands. Further investigations of quasiparticle
interference at the atomic level will aid defect engineering at the synthesis
level, needed for the development of lower-power electronics via
dissipationless electronic transport in the future.
