A generic phase between disordered Weyl semimetal and diffusive metal
Abstract Quantum phase transitions of three-dimensional (3D) Weyl semimetals (WSMs) subject to uncorrelated on-site disorder are investigated through quantum conductance calculations and finite-size scaling of localization length. Contrary to previous claims that a direct transition from a WSM to a...
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Nature Portfolio
2017-10-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-14760-8 |
| _version_ | 1818754216455307264 |
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| author | Ying Su X. S. Wang X. R. Wang |
| author_facet | Ying Su X. S. Wang X. R. Wang |
| author_sort | Ying Su |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Quantum phase transitions of three-dimensional (3D) Weyl semimetals (WSMs) subject to uncorrelated on-site disorder are investigated through quantum conductance calculations and finite-size scaling of localization length. Contrary to previous claims that a direct transition from a WSM to a diffusive metal (DM) occurs, an intermediate phase of Chern insulator (CI) between the two distinct metallic phases should exist due to internode scattering that is comparable to intranode scattering. The critical exponent of localization length is ν $$\,\simeq $$ ≃ 1.3 for both the WSM-CI and CI-DM transitions, in the same universality class of 3D Gaussian unitary ensemble of the Anderson localization transition. The CI phase is confirmed by quantized nonzero Hall conductances in the bulk insulating phase established by localization length calculations. The disorder-induced various plateau-plateau transitions in both the WSM and CI phases are observed and explained by the self-consistent Born approximation. Furthermore, we clarify that the occurrence of zero density of states at Weyl nodes is not a good criterion for the disordered WSM, and there is no fundamental principle to support the hypothesis of divergence of localization length at the WSM-DM transition. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T05:19:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e80afe7e6f1a4773946cca5000ec0ae0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T05:19:44Z |
| publishDate | 2017-10-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-e80afe7e6f1a4773946cca5000ec0ae02022-12-21T21:19:41ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222017-10-017111010.1038/s41598-017-14760-8A generic phase between disordered Weyl semimetal and diffusive metalYing Su0X. S. Wang1X. R. Wang2Physics Department, The Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyPhysics Department, The Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyPhysics Department, The Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyAbstract Quantum phase transitions of three-dimensional (3D) Weyl semimetals (WSMs) subject to uncorrelated on-site disorder are investigated through quantum conductance calculations and finite-size scaling of localization length. Contrary to previous claims that a direct transition from a WSM to a diffusive metal (DM) occurs, an intermediate phase of Chern insulator (CI) between the two distinct metallic phases should exist due to internode scattering that is comparable to intranode scattering. The critical exponent of localization length is ν $$\,\simeq $$ ≃ 1.3 for both the WSM-CI and CI-DM transitions, in the same universality class of 3D Gaussian unitary ensemble of the Anderson localization transition. The CI phase is confirmed by quantized nonzero Hall conductances in the bulk insulating phase established by localization length calculations. The disorder-induced various plateau-plateau transitions in both the WSM and CI phases are observed and explained by the self-consistent Born approximation. Furthermore, we clarify that the occurrence of zero density of states at Weyl nodes is not a good criterion for the disordered WSM, and there is no fundamental principle to support the hypothesis of divergence of localization length at the WSM-DM transition.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-14760-8 |
| spellingShingle | Ying Su X. S. Wang X. R. Wang A generic phase between disordered Weyl semimetal and diffusive metal Scientific Reports |
| title | A generic phase between disordered Weyl semimetal and diffusive metal |
| title_full | A generic phase between disordered Weyl semimetal and diffusive metal |
| title_fullStr | A generic phase between disordered Weyl semimetal and diffusive metal |
| title_full_unstemmed | A generic phase between disordered Weyl semimetal and diffusive metal |
| title_short | A generic phase between disordered Weyl semimetal and diffusive metal |
| title_sort | generic phase between disordered weyl semimetal and diffusive metal |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-14760-8 |
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