Continuum Landau surface states in a non-Hermitian Weyl semimetal

Abstract

The surface states of certain topological phases can be linked to a quantum anomaly: the violation of a classical symmetry by a field theory via a non-conserved current. This has been generalized to the case of a non-Hermitian (NH) chiral anomaly affecting the surfaces states of an NH Weyl phase. Here, we show that the NH anomaly inflow is mediated by continnum Landau modes (CLMs): special eigenstates exhibiting both spatial localization and a continuous spectrum, contrary to the usual distinction between bound and free states. The number of anomaly-induced surface modes scales with the sample volume rather than its surface area, which is shown to be tied to the unusual multiplicity of the CLMs. The other properties of the CLMs, including their normalization conditions and localization scale, closely match the predictions of the NH field theory. Finally, we discuss the conditions under which these phenomena can be probed experimentally using metamaterials.

10 pages, 5 figures

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