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Kondo holes break topological protection of heavy Dirac fermions in SmB<sub>6</sub>

ORAL

Abstract

The interplay of magnetism and strongly correlated topology is expected to generate exotic quantum phenomena. SmB6 is a leading platform, as it was recently shown to host heavy Dirac surface states that form within a screened Kondo lattice [1]. In conventional heavy fermion materials, it is well known that local magnetic structure is nucleated by Kondo holes–substitutions on the f-electron contributing lattice. If the same mechanism exists in the topological counterparts to these systems, Kondo holes would provide a local gauge of the impact of magnetism on the emergent heavy Dirac fermions. However, current experimental techniques to image the microscopic signature of a Kondo hole are challenging, and require tracking the complex heavy fermion band structure. Here, we introduce electrochemical potential imaging spectroscopy to directly visualize the impact of Kondo holes from the liberation of screening electrons around them. In SmB6, we discover that Sm-site defects create Kondo holes that locally break topological protection, allowing backscattering of heavy Dirac fermions.

[1] Pirie et al., Nat. Phys., in press (2019)

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Presenters

  • Harris Pirie

    Harvard University, Department of Physics, Harvard University

Authors

  • Harris Pirie

    Harvard University, Department of Physics, Harvard University

  • Yu Liu

    Harvard University, Department of Physics, Harvard University, Physics, Harvard University

  • Eric Mascot

    University of Illinois at Chicago, Univ of Illinois - Chicago

  • Pengcheng Chen

    Harvard University

  • Shanta Saha

    Maryland Quantum Materials Center, Department of Physics, University of Maryland College Park, University of Maryland, College Park, Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park

  • Xiangfeng Wang

    University of Maryland, College Park

  • Johnpierre Paglione

    University of Maryland, College Park, Physics Department, University of Maryland, Maryland Quantum Materials Center, Department of Physics, University of Maryland College Park, Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, University of Maryland, College Park & NIST, Univ of Maryland-Colege Park, Center for Quantum Materials, University of Maryland, Maryland Quantum Materials Center, Department of Physics, University of Maryland-College Park,College Park, Maryland 20742

  • Mohammad H Hamidian

    Harvard University

  • Cyrus F. Hirjibehedin

    MIT Lincoln Laboratory, University College London, UK

  • Dirk Klaus Morr

    University of Illinois at Chicago, Univ of Illinois - Chicago

  • Jennifer E. Hoffman

    Harvard University, Physics, Harvard University, Department of Physics, Harvard University