Topological semimetal driven by strong correlations and crystalline symmetry

Whether and how electron correlations influence electronic topology is an outstanding question. Weyl-Kondo semimetal has become a rare prototype to realize gapless topological states driven by strong correlations [1-4]. Here [5], we advance a general approach, in which strong correlations cooperate with crystalline symmetry to drive gapless topological states. We describe how to apply this materials design principle to discover new electronic topological states in square-net lattices (particularly a Weyl-Kondo nodal-line semimetal), identify three heavy fermion compounds as new candidates, provide first experimental evidence for our prediction in Ce₂Au₃In₅, and discuss how our approach may lead to many more. Finally, using the nonperturbative extended dynamical mean field method, we realize a Weyl-Kondo quantum critical point and describe its topological characteristics [6].



[1] H.-H. Lai, et al., PNAS 115, 93 (2018).



[2] S. E. Grefe et al., PRB101, 075138 (2020).



[3] S. Dzsaber et al., PNAS 118, e2013386118 (2021).



[4] S. Dzsaber et al., PRL 118, 246601 (2017).



[5] L. Chen, C. Setty et al., Nat. Phys. (Sept 2022),10.1038/s41567-022-01743-4



[6] L. Chen, H. Hu et al., unpublished (2022).