Topological Mott transition in a Weyl-Hubbard model: Dynamical mean-field theory study

Weyl semimetals are three-dimensional, topologically protected, gapless phases which show exotic phenomena such as Fermi arc surface states or negative magnetoresistance. It is an open question whether interparticle interactions can turn the topological semimetal into a topologically nontrivial Mott-insulating phase. We investigate an experimentally motivated model for Weyl physics of cold atoms in optical lattices, with the main focus on interaction effects and topological properties, by means of dynamical mean-field theory. We characterize topological phases by numerically evaluating the Chern number via the Ishikawa-Matsuyama formula for interacting phases. Within our studies, we find that the Chern numbers become trivial when interactions lead to insulating behavior. For a deeper understanding of the Weyl-semimetal-to-Mott-insulator topological phase transition, we evaluate the topological properties of quasiparticle bands as well as so-called blind bands. Finally, we consider a system with an open boundary along one spatial direction in order to study correlation effects of surface states. In a narrow regime close to the topological phase transition, we find a correlation-induced state in which the surface becomes metallic while the bulk is semimetallic.

Automated summary

By studying the dynamical mean-field theory, we found that the Chern numbers of topological phases become trivial when interactions lead to insulating behavior. We also evaluated the topological properties of quasiparticle bands and so-called blind bands to gain a deeper understanding of the Weyl-semimetal-to-Mott-insulator topological phase transition. Additionally, we considered a system with an open boundary along one spatial direction to study correlation effects of surface states.