Topological nematic phase in Dirac semi-metals

Abstract

We study the interaction effect in a three dimensional Dirac semimetal and find that two competing orders, charge-density-wave orders and nematic orders, can be induced to gap the Dirac points. Applying a magnetic field can further induce an instability towards forming these ordered phases. The charge density wave phase is similar as that of a Weyl semimetal while the nematic phase is unique for Dirac semimetals. Gapless zero modes are found in the vortex core formed by nematic order parameters, indicating the topological nature of nematic phases. The nematic phase can be observed experimentally using scanning tunnelling microscopy.

15 pages, 7 figures

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• Topological density-wave states in a particle-hole symmetric Weyl metal
• Dynamical Piezomagnetic Effect in Time-Reversal Invariant Weyl Semimetals with Axionic Charge-Density Waves
• Gap-opening transition in Dirac semimetal ZrTe${}_5$
• Topological defects in Floquet systems: Anomalous chiral modes and topological invariant
• Resonant Plasmon-Axion Excitations Induced by Charge Density Wave Order in Weyl Semimetal
• Surface states in Dirac metals and topological crystalline insulators
• Nematic order on the surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator
• Magnetic-field-induced electronic instability of Weyl-like fermions in compressed black phosphorus
• Strong-coupling phases of 3D Dirac and Weyl semimetals. A renormalization group approach