Physical Review Research (Nov 2024)
Fermi arcs, Landau levels, and magnetic response of the nematic Weyl liquid
Abstract
In classes of Weyl semimetals where the symmetry protects nodes with higher than unit charge, the nematic Weyl liquid appears as interactions destroy this underlying symmetry. In the symmetry-broken phase, the multiple-charge nodes are split into objects of unit charge, the position of which in momentum space is determined by the nematic order parameter. We examine the phenomenology of this phase, focusing on topological edge states and Landau levels. We find that the symmetry-broken phase itself, as well as the orientation of the nematic order are identifiable from the resulting edge states. We also find that the nematic order couples to an in-plane magnetic field, indicating that it can be controlled in situ via an external field. Finally, we provide an estimate for the critical coupling where spontaneous symmetry breaking occurs for contact interaction.