Subscribe to the gold package and get unlimited access to Shamra Academy
Register a new userIntertwined Weyl phases: higher-order topology meets unconventional Weyl fermions via crystalline symmetry
139
0
0.0
(
0
)
Ask ChatGPT about the research
No Arabic abstract
We report intertwined Weyl phases, which come from superposing topological phases by crystalline symmetry. In the intertwined Weyl phases, an unconventional Weyl phase where Weyl points possess a higher charge (monopole charge>1) due to rotation symmetry, and a higher-order topological phase enforced by rotation symmetry, are superposed. The two phases are no longer separable, but intertwine with each other, resulting in the novel phase. Remarkably, the intertwining leads to a prominent characteristic feature of the intertwined Weyl phases: $textit{the change of Fermi-arc topology}$ in a periodic pattern, i.e., the way how Fermi arcs connect to Weyl points changes drastically with respect to surface orientation, which exhibits a periodic pattern. Such a phenomenon is absent in any individual phase alone. Moreover, we elaborate on how to emulate the intertwined double-Weyl phase in cold atoms. Our theory is quite promising for generating new topological phases based on existing ones.
rate research
Read More
We investigate higher-order Weyl semimetals (HOWSMs) having bulk Weyl nodes attached to both surface and hinge Fermi arcs. We identify a new type of Weyl node, that we dub a $2nd$ order Weyl node, that can be identified as a transition in momentum space in which both the Chern number and a higher order topological invariant change. As a proof of concept we use a model of stacked higher order quadrupole insulators to identify three types of WSM phases: $1st$-order, $2nd$-order, and hybrid-order. The model can also realize type-II and hybrid-tilt WSMs with various surface and hinge arcs. Moreover, we show that a measurement of charge density in the presence of magnetic flux can help identify some classes of $2nd$ order WSMs. Remarkably, we find that coupling a $2nd$-order Weyl phase with a conventional $1st$-order one can lead to a hybrid-order topological insulator having coexisting surface cones and flat hinge arcs that are independent and not attached to each other. Finally, we show that periodic driving can be utilized as a way for generating HOWSMs. Our results are relevant to metamaterials as well as various phases of Cd$_3$As$_2$, KMgBi, and rutile-structure PtO$_2$ that have been predicted to realize higher order Dirac semimetals.
In quantum field theory, we learn that fermions come in three varieties: Majorana, Weyl, and Dirac. Here we show that in solid state systems this classification is incomplete and find several additional types of crystal symmetry-protected free fermionic excitations . We exhaustively classify linear and quadratic 3-, 6- and 8- band crossings stabilized by space group symmetries in solid state systems with spin-orbit coupling and time-reversal symmetry. Several distinct types of fermions arise, differentiated by their degeneracies at and along high symmetry points, lines, and surfaces. Some notable consequences of these fermions are the presence of Fermi arcs in non-Weyl systems and the existence of Dirac lines. Ab-initio calculations identify a number of materials that realize these exotic fermions close to the Fermi level.
We study non-Hermitian higher-order Weyl semimetals (NHHOWSMs) possessing real spectra and having inversion $mathcal{I}$ ($mathcal{I}$-NHHOWSM) or time-reversal symmetry $mathcal{T}$ ($mathcal{T}$-NHHOWSM). When the reality of bulk spectra is lost, the NHHOWSMs exhibit various configurations of surface Fermi Arcs (FAs) and Exceptional Fermi Rings (EFRs), providing a setup to investigate them on an equal footing. The EFRs only appear in the region between 2nd-order WNs. We also discover Weyl nodes originating from non-Hermicity, called non-Hermitian Weyl nodes (NHWNs). Remarkably, we find T-NHHOWSMs which host only 2nd-order NHWNs, having both surface and hinge FAs protected by the quantized biorthogonal Chern number and quadrupole moment, respectively. We call this intrinsically non-Hermitian phase exceptional HOWSM. In contrast to ordinary WNs, the NHWNs can instantly deform to line nodes, forming a monopole comet. The NHWNs also show exceptional tilt-rigidity, which is a strong resistance towards titling due to attachment to exceptional structures. This phenomenon can be a promising experimental knob. Finally, we reveal the exceptional stability of FAs called exceptional helicity. Surface FAs having opposite chirality can live on the same surface without gapping out each other due to the complex nature of the spectrum. Our work motivates an immediate experimental realization of NHHOWSMs.
In recent theoretical and experimental investigations, researchers have linked the low-energy field theory of a Weyl semimetal gapped with a charge-density wave (CDW) to high-energy theories with axion electrodynamics. However, it remains an open question whether a lattice regularization of the dynamical Weyl-CDW is in fact a single-particle axion insulator (AXI). In this Letter, we use analytic and numerical methods to study both lattice-commensurate and incommensurate minimal (magnetic) Weyl-CDW phases in the mean-field state. We observe that, as previously predicted from field theory, the two inversion- ($mathcal{I}$-) symmetric Weyl-CDWs with $phi = 0,pi$ differ by a topological axion angle $deltatheta_{phi}=pi$. However, we crucially discover that $neither$ of the minimal Weyl-CDW phases at $phi=0,pi$ is individually an AXI; they are instead quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) and obstructed QAH insulators that differ by a fractional translation in the modulated cell, analogous to the two phases of the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model of polyacetylene. Using symmetry indicators of band topology and non-abelian Berry phase, we demonstrate that our results generalize to multi-band systems with only two Weyl fermions, establishing that minimal Weyl-CDWs unavoidably carry nontrivial Chern numbers that prevent the observation of a static magnetoelectric response. We discuss the experimental implications of our findings, and provide models and analysis generalizing our results to nonmagnetic Weyl- and Dirac-CDWs.
The study of topological band structures have sparked prominent research interest the past decade, culminating in the recent formulation of rather prolific classification schemes that encapsulate a large fraction of phases and features. Within this context we recently reported on a class of unexplored topological structures that thrive on the concept of {it sub-dimensional topology}. Although such phases have trivial indicators and band representations when evaluated over the complete Brillouin zone, they have stable or fragile topologies within sub-dimensional spaces, such as planes or lines. This perspective does not just refine classification pursuits, but can result in observable features in the full dimensional sense. In three spatial dimensions (3D), for example, sub-dimensional topologies can be characterized by non-trivial planes, having general topological invariants, that are compensated by Weyl nodes away from these planes. As a result, such phases have 3D stable characteristics such as Weyl nodes, Fermi arcs and edge states that can be systematically predicted by sub-dimensional analysis. Within this work we further elaborate on these concepts. We present refined representation counting schemes and address distinctive bulk-boundary effects, that include momentum depended (higher order) edge states that have a signature dependence on the perpendicular momentum. As such, we hope that these insights might spur on new activities to further deepen the understanding of these unexplored phases.
Log in to be able to interact and post comments
comments
Fetching comments
Sign in to be able to follow your search criteria
