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Burkov, Anton A.

Publications and source records attributed to Burkov, Anton A..

Twisted bilayers of thin film magnetic topological insulators

Twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) near "magic angles" has emerged as a rich platform for strongly correlated states of two-dimensional (2D) Dirac semimetals. Here we show that twisted bilayers of thin film magnetic topological insulators (MTIs) with large in-plane magnetization can realize flat bands near 2D Dirac nodes. Using a simple model for thin films of MTIs, we derive a continuum model for two such MTIs, twisted by a small angle with respect to each other. When the magnetization is in plane, we show that interlayer tunneling terms act as effective SU (2) vector potentials, which are known to lead to flat bands in TBG. We show that by changing the in-plane magnetization, it is possible to tune the twisted bilayer MTI band dispersion to quadratic band touching or to flat bands, similar to the TBG. If realized, this system can be a highly tunable platform for strongly correlated phases of two-dimensional Dirac semimetals.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Magnetism and magnetotransport in the kagome antiferromagnet Mn 3 Ge

We perform classical Monte Carlo and stochastic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert simulations to study the temperature-dependent magnetism of the kagome antiferromagnet Weyl metal Mn3Ge, and we find that a long-range chiral order sets in at a transition temperature well below the Neel temperature (T N ). Based on the crystalline symmetries imposed by the chiral magnetic order, we argue for the presence of multiple isoenergetic Weyl nodes (nodes that are at the same energy and with a congruent Fermi surface around them) near the chemical potential. Using the semiclassical Boltzmann equations, we show that the combined contribution to the net longitudinal magnetoconductance (LMC) and the planar Hall conductance (PHC) from tilted Weyl nodes can lead to signatures that are qualitatively distinct from that of a single pair of Weyl nodes. In particular, we show that magnetic orders with different chiralities can give rise to different periods in LMC and PHC as a function of the in-plane magnetic field direction. As a result, this is ultimately related to differences in the symmetry-imposed constraints on the Weyl nodes.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Detecting topological phase transitions in cadmium arsenide films via the transverse magnetoresistance

Topological protection against localization causes electrical transport phenomena in disordered topological materials to differ from those in topologically trivial systems. For example, a transition between a regime of weak localization to one of weak antilocalization can occur in systems such as topological insulators and topological semimetals when an external potential is applied across the system. Here, we report on the transverse magnetoresistance of thin films of cadmium arsenide, a topological non-trivial material, as we tune the electronic states and the Fermi level. We show that the appearance of weak localization and weak antilocalization sensitively reflects the relative contributions of multiple transport channels involving both gapless (massless) and gapped (massive) Dirac fermion states present in these films. Furthermore, the data is consistent with expectations of the different topological states of these films. Weak (anti-) localization phenomena can therefore serve as a probe of the types of Dirac fermions present in topological semimetals.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Chiral Anomaly in Interacting Condensed Matter Systems

The chiral anomaly is a fundamental quantum mechanical phenomenon which is of great importance to both particle physics and condensed matter physics alike. In the context of QED, it manifests as the breaking of chiral symmetry in the presence of electromagnetic fields. It is also known that anomalous chiral symmetry breaking can occur through interactions alone, as is the case for interacting one-dimensional systems. In this Letter, we investigate the interplay between these two modes of anomalous chiral symmetry breaking in the context of interacting Weyl semimetals. Using Fujikawa’s path integral method, we show that the chiral charge continuity equation is modified by the presence of interactions which can be viewed as including the effect of the electric and magnetic fields generated by the interacting quantum matter. This can be understood further using dimensional reduction and a Luttinger liquid description of the lowest Landau level. These effects manifest themselves in the nonlinear response of the system. In particular, we find an interaction-dependent density response due to a change in the magnetic field as well as a contribution to the nonequilibrium and inhomogeneous anomalous Hall response while preserving its equilibrium value.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Nonlinear Hall effect in Weyl semimetals induced by chiral anomaly

In this work, we predict a nonlinear Hall effect in certain Weyl semimetals with broken inversion symmetry. When the energy dispersions about pairs of Weyl nodes are skewed-the Weyl cones are "tilted"-the concerted actions of the anomalous velocity and the chiral anomaly give rise to the nonlinear Hall effect. This Hall conductivity is linear in both electric and magnetic fields and depends critically on the tilting of the Weyl cones. We also show that this effect does not rely on a finite Berry curvature dipole, in contrast with the intrinsic quantum nonlinear Hall effect that was recently observed in type-II Weyl semimetals.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Topological surface states in strained Dirac semimetal thin films

We computationally study the Fermi arc states in a Dirac semimetal, both in a semi-infinite slab and in the thin-film limit. We use Cd 3 As 2 as a model system, and include perturbations that break the C-4 symmetry and inversion symmetry while mirror symmetries remain. The surface states are protected by the mirror symmetries present in the bulk states and thus survive these perturbations. Additionally, the Fermi arc states persist down to very thin films, thinner than presently measured experimentally, but are affected by breaking the symmetry of the Hamiltonian. Recent experimental observations of transport in Cd 3 As 2 films strongly suggest transport by surface states. Our findings are consistent with those observations in that we show that Fermi arc states can survive to rather thin films, and our results also suggest that symmetry-breaking terms that preserve the Fermi arc states nevertheless can have a profound effect in the thin film limit.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗