No Arabic abstract
Dirac and Weyl semimetals both exhibit arc-like surface states. However, whereas the surface Fermi arcs in Weyl semimetals are topological consequences of the Weyl points themselves, the surface Fermi arcs in Dirac semimetals are not directly related to the bulk Dirac points, raising the question of whether there exists a topological bulk-boundary correspondence for Dirac semimetals. In this work, we discover that strong and fragile topological Dirac semimetals exhibit 1D higher-order hinge Fermi arcs (HOFAs) as universal, direct consequences of their bulk 3D Dirac points. To predict HOFAs coexisting with topological surface states in solid-state Dirac semimetals, we introduce and layer a spinful model of an $s-d$-hybridized quadrupole insulator (QI). We develop a rigorous nested Jackiw-Rebbi formulation of QIs and HOFA states. Employing $ab initio$ calculations, we demonstrate HOFAs in both the room- ($alpha$) and intermediate-temperature ($alpha$) phases of Cd$_{3}$As$_2$, KMgBi, and rutile-structure ($beta$-) PtO$_2$.
In this article we study 3D non-Hermitian higher-order Dirac semimetals (NHHODSMs). Our focus is on $C_4$-symmetric non-Hermitian systems where we investigate inversion ($mathcal{I}$) or time-reversal ($mathcal{T}$) symmetric models of NHHODSMs having real bulk spectra. We show that they exhibit the striking property that the bulk and surfaces are anti-PT and PT symmetric, respectively, and so belong to two different topological classes realizing a novel non-Hermitian topological phase which we call a emph{hybrid-PT topological phases}. Interestingly, while the bulk spectrum is still fully real, we find that exceptional Fermi-rings (EFRs) appear connecting the two Dirac nodes on the surface. This provides a route to probe and utilize both the bulk Dirac physics and exceptional rings/points on equal footing. Moreover, particularly for $mathcal{T}$-NHHODSMs, we also find real hinge-arcs connecting the surface EFRs. We show that this higher-order topology can be characterized using a biorthogonal real-space formula of the quadrupole moment. Furthermore, by applying Hermitian $C_4$-symmetric perturbations, we discover various novel phases, particularly: (i) an intrinsic $mathcal{I}$-NHHODSM having hinge arcs and gapped surfaces, and (ii) a novel $mathcal{T}$-symmetric skin-topological HODSM which possesses both topological and skin hinge modes. The interplay between non-Hermition and higher-order topology in this work paves the way toward uncovering rich phenomena and hybrid functionality that can be readily realized in experiment.
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.
Three-dimensional topological (crystalline) insulators are materials with an insulating bulk, but conducting surface states which are topologically protected by time-reversal (or spatial) symmetries. Here, we extend the notion of three-dimensional topological insulators to systems that host no gapless surface states, but exhibit topologically protected gapless hinge states. Their topological character is protected by spatio-temporal symmetries, of which we present two cases: (1) Chiral higher-order topological insulators protected by the combination of time-reversal and a four-fold rotation symmetry. Their hinge states are chiral modes and the bulk topology is $mathbb{Z}_2$-classified. (2) Helical higher-order topological insulators protected by time-reversal and mirror symmetries. Their hinge states come in Kramers pairs and the bulk topology is $mathbb{Z}$-classified. We provide the topological invariants for both cases. Furthermore we show that SnTe as well as surface-modified Bi$_2$TeI, BiSe, and BiTe are helical higher-order topological insulators and propose a realistic experimental setup to detect the hinge states.
The quantum Hall effect is usually observed in 2D systems. We show that the Fermi arcs can give rise to a distinctive 3D quantum Hall effect in topological semimetals. Because of the topological constraint, the Fermi arc at a single surface has an open Fermi surface, which cannot host the quantum Hall effect. Via a wormhole tunneling assisted by the Weyl nodes, the Fermi arcs at opposite surfaces can form a complete Fermi loop and support the quantum Hall effect. The edge states of the Fermi arcs show a unique 3D distribution, giving an example of (d-2)-dimensional boundary states. This is distinctly different from the surface-state quantum Hall effect from a single surface of topological insulator. As the Fermi energy sweeps through the Weyl nodes, the sheet Hall conductivity evolves from the 1/B dependence to quantized plateaus at the Weyl nodes. This behavior can be realized by tuning gate voltages in a slab of topological semimetal, such as the TaAs family, Cd$_3$As$_2$, or Na$_3$Bi. This work will be instructive not only for searching transport signatures of the Fermi arcs but also for exploring novel electron gases in other topological phases of matter.
We report the observation of a non-trivial spin texture in Dirac node arcs, novel topological objects formed when Dirac cones of massless particles extend along an open one-dimensional line in momentum space. We find that such states are present in all the compounds of the tetradymite M$_2$Te$_2$X family (M$=$Ti, Zr or Hf and X$=$P or As), regardless of the weak or strong character of the topological invariant. The Dirac node arcs in tetradymites are thus the simplest possible, textbook example, of a type-I Dirac system with a single spin-polarized node arc.