Spin-polarized imaging of strongly interacting fermions in the ferrimagnetic state of Weyl candidate CeBi

CeBi has an intricate magnetic phase diagram whose fully-polarized state has recently been suggested as a Weyl semimetal, though the role of $f$ states in promoting strong interactions has remained elusive. Here we focus on the less-studied, but also time-reversal symmetry-breaking ferrimagnetic phase of CeBi, where our density functional theory (DFT) calculations predict additional Weyl nodes near the Fermi level $E_mathrm{F}$. We use spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy to image the surface ferrimagnetic order on the itinerant Bi $p$ states, indicating their orbital hybridization with localized Ce $f$ states. We observe suppression of this spin-polarized signature at $E_mathrm{F}$, coincident with a Fano line shape in the conductance spectra, suggesting the Bi $p$ states partially Kondo screen the $f$ magnetic moments, and this $p-f$ hybridization causes strong Fermi-level band renormalization. The $p$ band flattening is supported by our quasiparticle interference (QPI) measurements, which also show band splitting in agreement with DFT, painting a consistent picture of a strongly interacting magnetic Weyl semimetal.

Acoustic twisted bilayer graphene

Twisted van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures have recently emerged as an attractive platform to study tunable correlated electron systems. However, the quantum mechanical nature of vdW heterostructures makes their theoretical and experimental exploration laborious and expensive. Here we present a simple platform to mimic the behavior of twisted vdW heterostructures using acoustic metamaterials comprising of interconnected air cavities in a steel plate. Our classical analog of twisted bilayer graphene shows much of the same behavior as its quantum counterpart, including mode localization at a magic angle of about 1.1 degrees. By tuning the thickness of the interlayer membrane, we reach a regime of strong interactions more than three times higher than the feasible range of twisted bilayer graphene under pressure. In this regime, we find the magic angle as high as 6.01 degrees, corresponding to a far denser array of localized modes in real space and further increasing their interaction strength. Our results broaden the capabilities for cross-talk between quantum mechanics and acoustics, as vdW metamaterials can be used both as simplified models for exploring quantum systems and as a means for translating interesting quantum effects into acoustics.

van der Waals metamaterials

The van der Waals heterostructures are a fertile frontier for discovering emergent phenomena in condensed matter systems. They are constructed by stacking elements of a large library of two-dimensional materials, which couple together through van der Waals interactions. However, the number of possible combinations within this library is staggering, and fully exploring their potential is a daunting task. Here we introduce van der Waals metamaterials to rapidly prototype and screen their quantum counterparts. These layered metamaterials are designed to reshape the flow of ultrasound to mimic electron motion. In particular, we show how to construct analogues of all stacking configurations of bilayer and trilayer graphene through the use of interlayer membranes that emulate van der Waals interactions. By changing the membranes density and thickness, we reach coupling regimes far beyond that of conventional graphene. We anticipate that van der Waals metamaterials will explore, extend, and inform future electronic devices. Equally, they allow the transfer of useful electronic behavior to acoustic systems, such as flat bands in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene, which may aid the development of super-resolution ultrasound imagers.

Consistency between ARPES and STM measurements on SmB$_6$

Strongly correlated topological surface states are promising platforms for next-generation quantum applications, but they remain elusive in real materials. The correlated Kondo insulator SmB$_6$ is one of the most promising candidates, with theoretically predicted heavy Dirac surface states supported by transport and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) experiments. However, a puzzling discrepancy appears between STM and angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) experiments on SmB$_6$. Although ARPES detects spin-textured surface states, their velocity is an order of magnitude higher than expected, while the Dirac point -- the hallmark of any topological system -- can only be inferred deep within the bulk valence band. A significant challenge is that SmB$_6$ lacks a natural cleavage plane, resulting in ordered surface domains limited to 10s of nanometers. Here we use STM to show that surface band bending can shift energy features by 10s of meV between domains. Starting from our STM spectra, we simulate the full spectral function as an average over multiple domains with different surface potentials. Our simulation shows excellent agreement with ARPES data, and thus resolves the apparent discrepancy between large-area measurements that average over multiple band-shifted domains and atomically-resolved measurements within a single domain.

Imaging emergent heavy Dirac fermions of a topological Kondo insulator

Kondo insulators are primary candidates in the search for strongly correlated topological quantum phases, which may host topological order, fractionalization, and non-Abelian statistics. Within some Kondo insulators, the hybridization gap is predicted to protect a nontrivial topological invariant and to harbor emergent heavy Dirac fermion surface modes. We use high-energy-resolution spectroscopic imaging in real and momentum space on the Kondo insulator, SmB$_6$. On cooling through $T^*_{Delta}approx$ 35 K we observe the opening of an insulating gap that expands to $Deltaapprox$ 10 meV at 2 K. Within the gap, we image the formation of linearly dispersing surface states with effective masses reaching $m^* = (410pm20)m_e$. We thus demonstrate existence of a strongly correlated topological Kondo insulator phase hosting the heaviest known Dirac fermions.

Topological Phononic Logic

Topological metamaterials have robust properties engineered from their macroscopic arrangement, rather than their microscopic constituency. They are promising candidates for creating next-generation technologies due to their protected dissipationless boundary modes. They can be designed by starting from Dirac metamaterials with either symmetry-enforced or accidental degeneracy. The latter case provides greater flexibility in the design of topological switches, waveguides, and cloaking devices, because a large number of tuning parameters can be used to break the degeneracy and induce a topological phase. However, the design of a topological logic element--a switch that can be controlled by the output of a separate switch--remains elusive. Here we numerically demonstrate a topological logic gate for ultrasound by exploiting the large phase space of accidental degeneracies in a honeycomb lattice. We find that a degeneracy can be broken by six physical parameters, and we show how to tune these parameters to create a phononic switch between a topological waveguide and a trivial insulator that can be triggered by ultrasonic heating. Our design scheme is directly applicable to photonic crystals and may guide the design of future electronic topological transistors.