Quantum limit transport and destruction of the Weyl nodes in TaAs

New-Occurrence of Postoperative Modic Changes and Its Influence on the Surgical Prognosis After Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Disc Discectomy

OBJECTIVES

Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a common degenerative spinal disease in clinical practice. This study aims to investigate the impact of Modic changes (MCs) on postoperative recovery and disease recurrence following percutaneous endoscopic lumbar disc discectomy (PELD), providing important insights for improving the management of chronic low back pain. This study investigates the 1-year progression rate of MCs after PELD and their impact on surgical outcomes and recurrence.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study analyzed data from 419 patients with single-segment lumbar disc herniation who underwent PELD between January 2019 and December 2022. Lumbar MRI assessed preoperative and postoperative MCs. Pain levels and surgical outcomes were evaluated using the visual analog scale, Oswestry Disability Index, and Macnab criteria. Univariate analysis explored the relationship between postoperative MCs and pain, while subgroups investigated the associations between postoperative efficacy, recurrence, and MCs type and area.

RESULTS

One-year follow-up revealed that the probability of MCs postsurgery was 24.8%. Patients with postoperative MCs had significantly lower pain scores compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Univariate analysis indicated that the type and area of postoperative MCs were risk factors for poor outcomes in PELD patients (p < 0.05). During the 1-year follow-up, recurrence rates in the no-MCs and MCs groups were 3.8% and 9.6%, respectively (p < 0.05). Univariate analysis concluded that the area of postoperative MCs was a risk factor for PELD recurrence.

CONCLUSION

The postoperative MCs, as a risk factor, may have a detrimental effect on the surgical efficacy and short-term recurrence of LDH following PELD based on a large sample. Furthermore, the harmful effect is affected by the area and type of the postoperative MCs.

Topological behavior of spectral singularities in topological Weyl semimetals

In this study, we examine the topological character of spectral singularities by using transverse magnetic (TM) mode configuration in a Topological Weyl Semimetal (TWSM). TM mode configuration restrains the effect of Kerr/Faraday rotations and therefore does not allow an extra degree of freedom to occur. We find out that surface currents arise due to topological terms on the surface of TWSM slab where no Fermi arcs are localized. We also investigate the contribution of the Θ-term, which is the origin of axions in topological materials, and especially theb-term, to the topological properties. As a result of our study, we clearly reveal the topological character ofb-term for the first time and we demonstrate the Weyl degeneracy situation in an obvious manner. Our system produces circular currents in the plane of propagation, maintaining a cyclotron shape motion. The presence ofb-term causes the induced current to be topologically protected. Our findings verify that topological properties of TWSM containing two opposite chirality Weyl fermions are robust against external influences. With the findings of our study, the appropriate conditions for the construction of a topological laser and the values that the system parameters can take have been demonstrated.

The reverse quantum limit and its implications for unconventional quantum oscillations in YbB12

The quantum limit in a Fermi liquid, realized when a single Landau level is occupied in strong magnetic fields, gives rise to unconventional states, including the fractional quantum Hall effect and excitonic insulators. Stronger interactions in metals with nearly localized f-electron degrees of freedom increase the likelihood of these unconventional states. However, access to the quantum limit is typically impeded by the tendency of f-electrons to polarize in a strong magnetic field, consequently weakening the interactions. In this study, we propose that the quantum limit in such systems must be approached in reverse, starting from an insulating state at zero magnetic field. In this scenario, Landau levels fill in the reverse order compared to regular metals and are closely linked to a field-induced insulator-to-metal transition. We identify YbB12 as a prime candidate for observing this effect and propose the presence of an excitonic insulator state near this transition.

Anomalous Hall Conductivity and Nernst Effect of the Ideal Weyl Semimetallic Ferromagnet EuCd2 As2

Weyl semimetal is a unique topological phase with topologically protected band crossings in the bulk and robust surface states called Fermi arcs. Weyl nodes always appear in pairs with opposite chiralities, and they need to have either time-reversal or inversion symmetry broken. When the time-reversal symmetry is broken the minimum number of Weyl points (WPs) is two. If these WPs are located at the Fermi level, they form an ideal Weyl semimetal (WSM). In this study, intrinsic ferromagnetic (FM) EuCd2 As2 are grown, predicted to be an ideal WSM and studied its electronic structure by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy which agrees closely with the first principles calculations. Moreover, anomalous Hall conductivity and Nernst effect are observed, resulting from the non-zero Berry curvature, and the topological Hall effect arising from changes in the band structure caused by spin canting produced by magnetic fields. These findings can help realize several exotic quantum phenomena in inorganic topological materials that are otherwise difficult to assess because of the presence of multiple pairs of Weyl nodes.

Control of electronic topology in a strongly correlated electron system

It is becoming increasingly clear that breakthrough in quantum applications necessitates materials innovation. In high demand are conductors with robust topological states that can be manipulated at will. This is what we demonstrate in the present work. We discover that the pronounced topological response of a strongly correlated "Weyl-Kondo" semimetal can be genuinely manipulated-and ultimately fully suppressed-by magnetic fields. We understand this behavior as a Zeeman-driven motion of Weyl nodes in momentum space, up to the point where the nodes meet and annihilate in a topological quantum phase transition. The topologically trivial but correlated background remains unaffected across this transition, as is shown by our investigations up to much larger fields. Our work lays the ground for systematic explorations of electronic topology, and boosts the prospect for topological quantum devices.

Detection of relativistic fermions in Weyl semimetal TaAs by magnetostriction measurements

Thus far, a detection of the Dirac or Weyl fermions in topological semimetals remains often elusive, since in these materials conventional charge carriers exist as well. Here, measuring a field-induced length change of the prototype Weyl semimetal TaAs at low temperatures, we find that its c-axis magnetostriction amounts to relatively large values whereas the a-axis magnetostriction exhibits strong variations with changing the orientation of the applied magnetic field. It is discovered that at magnetic fields above the ultra-quantum limit, the magnetostriction of TaAs contains a linear-in-field term, which, as we show, is a hallmark of the Weyl fermions in a material. Developing a theory for the magnetostriction of noncentrosymmetric topological semimetals and applying it to TaAs, we additionally find several parameters characterizing the interaction between the relativistic fermions and elastic degrees of freedom in this semimetal. Our study shows how dilatometry can be used to unveil Weyl fermions in candidate topological semimetals.

Detecting Weyl or Dirac charge carriers in topological semimetals is challenging due to the presence of their conventional counterparts. In this manuscript, the authors show that magnetostriction offers clearly distinguishable conventional and Weyl or Dirac charge carrier contributions when the latter are in their quantum limit.

Ionic Liquid Gating of SrTiO3 Lamellas Fabricated with a Focused Ion Beam

In this work, we combine two previously incompatible techniques for defining electronic devices: shaping three-dimensional crystals by focused ion beam (FIB), and two-dimensional electrostatic accumulation of charge carriers. The principal challenge for this integration is nanometer-scale surface damage inherent to any FIB-based fabrication. We address this by using a sacrificial protective layer to preserve a selected pristine surface. The test case presented here is accumulation of 2D carriers by ionic liquid gating at the surface of a micron-scale SrTiO₃ lamella. Preservation of surface quality is reflected in superconductivity of the accumulated carriers. This technique opens new avenues for realizing electrostatic charge tuning in materials that are not available as large or exfoliatable single crystals, and for patterning the geometry of the accumulated carriers.

Weyl Fermion magneto-electrodynamics and ultralow field quantum limit in TaAs

Topological semimetals are predicted to exhibit unconventional electrodynamics, but a central experimental challenge is singling out the contributions from the topological bands. TaAs is the prototypical example, where 24 Weyl points and 8 trivial Fermi surfaces make the interpretation of any experiment in terms of band topology ambiguous. We report magneto-infrared reflection spectroscopy measurements on TaAs. We observed sharp inter-Landau level transitions from a single pocket of Weyl Fermions in magnetic fields as low as 0.4 tesla. We determine the W2 Weyl point to be 8.3 meV below the Fermi energy, corresponding to a quantum limit—the field required to reach the lowest LL—of 0.8 tesla—unprecedentedly low for Weyl Fermions. LL spectroscopy allows us to isolate these Weyl Fermions from all other carriers in TaAs, and our result provides a way for directly exploring the more exotic quantum phenomena in Weyl semimetals, such as the chiral anomaly.

Electric Field Control of the Magnetic Weyl Fermion in an Epitaxial SrRuO3 (111) Thin Film

The magnetic Weyl fermion originates from the time reversal symmetry (TRS)-breaking in magnetic crystalline structures, where the topology and magnetism entangle with each other. Therefore, the magnetic Weyl fermion is expected to be effectively tuned by the magnetic field and electrical field, which holds promise for future topologically protected electronics. However, the electrical field control of the magnetic Weyl fermion has rarely been reported, which is prevented by the limited number of identified magnetic Weyl solids. Here, the electric field control of the magnetic Weyl fermion is demonstrated in an epitaxial SrRuO₃ (111) thin film. The magnetic Weyl fermion in the SrRuO₃ films is indicated by the chiral anomaly induced magnetotransport, and is verified by the observed Weyl nodes in the electronic structures characterized by the angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and first-principles calculations. Through the ionic-liquid gating experiment, the effective manipulation of the Weyl fermion by electric field is demonstrated, in terms of the sign-change of the ordinary Hall effect, the nonmonotonic tuning of the anomalous Hall effect, and the observation of the linear magnetoresistance under proper gating voltages. The work may stimulate the searching and tuning of Weyl fermions in other magnetic materials, which are promising in energy-efficient electronics.

Ultrasound measurement technique for the single-turn-coil magnets

Ultrasound is a powerful means to study numerous phenomena of condensed-matter physics as acoustic waves couple strongly to structural, magnetic, orbital, and charge degrees of freedom. In this paper, we present such a technique combined with single-turn coils (STCs) that generate magnetic fields beyond 100 T with the typical pulse duration of 6 µs. As a benchmark of this technique, the ultrasound results for MnCr₂S₄, Cu₆[Si₆O₁₈]·6H₂O, and liquid oxygen are shown. The resolution for the relative sound-velocity change in the STC is estimated as Δv/v ∼ 10^-3, which is sufficient to study various field-induced phase transitions and critical phenomena.

Wide Critical Fluctuations of the Field-Induced Phase Transition in Graphite

In the immediate vicinity of the critical temperature (T_{c}) of a phase transition, there are fluctuations of the order parameter that reside beyond the mean-field approximation. Such critical fluctuations usually occur in a very narrow temperature window in contrast to Gaussian fluctuations. Here, we report on a study of specific heat in graphite subject to a high magnetic field when all carriers are confined in the lowest Landau levels. The observation of a BCS-like specific heat jump in both temperature and field sweeps establishes that the phase transition discovered decades ago in graphite is of the second order. The jump is preceded by a steady field-induced enhancement of the electronic specific heat. A modest (20%) reduction in the amplitude of the magnetic field (from 33 to 27 T) leads to a threefold decrease of T_{c} and a drastic widening of the specific heat anomaly, which acquires a tail spreading to two times T_{c}. We argue that the steady departure from the mean-field BCS behavior is the consequence of an exceptionally large Ginzburg number in this dilute metal, which grows steadily as the field lowers. Our fit of the critical fluctuations indicates that they belong to the 3DXY universality class as in the case of the ^{4}He superfluid transition.

Topologically distinct Weyl fermion pairs

A Weyl semimetal has Weyl nodes that always come in pairs with opposite chiralities. Notably, different ways of connection between nodes are possible and would lead to distinct topologies. Here we identify their differences in many respects from two proposed models with different vorticities. One prominent feature is the behaviour of zeroth Landau levels (LLs) under magnetic field. We demonstrate that the magnetic tunneling does not always expel LLs from zero energy because the number of zero-energy modes is protected by the vorticity of the Weyl nodes, instead of the chirality. Other respects in disorder effects for weak (anti-)localization, surface Fermi arcs, and Weyl-node annihilation, are interesting consequences that await more investigation in the future.

Improved accuracy in high-frequency AC transport measurements in pulsed high magnetic fields

We show theoretically and experimentally that accurate transport measurements are possible even within the short time provided by pulsed magnetic fields. For this purpose, a new method has been devised, which removes the noise component of a specific frequency from the signal by taking a linear combination of the results of numerical phase detection using multiple integer periods. We also established a method to unambiguously determine the phase rotation angle in AC transport measurements using a frequency range of tens of kilohertz. We revealed that the dominant noise in low-frequency transport measurements in pulsed magnetic fields is the electromagnetic induction caused by mechanical vibrations of wire loops in inhomogeneous magnetic fields. These results strongly suggest that accurate transport measurements in short-pulsed magnets are possible when mechanical vibrations are well suppressed.

Magnetotransport signatures of Weyl physics and discrete scale invariance in the elemental semiconductor tellurium

The study of topological materials possessing nontrivial band structures enables exploitation of relativistic physics and development of a spectrum of intriguing physical phenomena. However, previous studies of Weyl physics have been limited exclusively to semimetals. Here, via systematic magnetotransport measurements, two representative topological transport signatures of Weyl physics, the negative longitudinal magnetoresistance and the planar Hall effect, are observed in the elemental semiconductor tellurium. More strikingly, logarithmically periodic oscillations in both the magnetoresistance and Hall data are revealed beyond the quantum limit and found to share similar characteristics with those observed in ZrTe5 and HfTe5 The log-periodic oscillations originate from the formation of two-body quasi-bound states formed between Weyl fermions and opposite charge centers, the energies of which constitute a geometric series that matches the general feature of discrete scale invariance (DSI). Our discovery reveals the topological nature of tellurium and further confirms the universality of DSI in topological materials. Moreover, introduction of Weyl physics into semiconductors to develop "Weyl semiconductors" provides an ideal platform for manipulating fundamental Weyl fermionic behaviors and for designing future topological devices.

The discovery of dynamic chiral anomaly in a Weyl semimetal NbAs

The experimental discovery of Weyl semimetals offers unprecedented opportunities to study Weyl physics in condensed matters. Unique electromagnetic response of Weyl semimetals such as chiral magnetic effect has been observed and presented by the axial θ E · B term in electromagnetic Lagrangian (E and B are the electric and magnetic field, respectively). But till now, the experimental progress in this direction in Weyl semimetals is restricted to the DC regime. Here we report experimental access to the dynamic regime in Weyl semimetal NbAs by combining the internal deformation potential of coupled phonons with applied static magnetic field. While the dynamic E · B field is realized, it produces an anomalous phonon activity with a characteristic angle-dependence. Our results provide an effective approach to achieve the dynamic regime beyond the widely-investigated DC limit which enables the coupling between the Weyl fermions and the electromagnetic wave for further study of novel light-matter interactions in Weyl semimetals.

Unique electronmagnetic response of Weyl semimetals have only been reported in static field regime. Here, the authors report evidence of a dynamical chiral anomaly response realized by internal collective lattice deformation with an external static magnetic field in a Weyl semimetal NbAs.

Lasing with Topological Weyl Semimetal

Lasing behavior of optically active planar topological Weyl semimetal (TWS) is investigated in view of the Kerr and Faraday rotations. Robust topological character of TWS is revealed by the presence of Weyl nodes and relevant surface conductivities. We focus our attention on the surfaces where no Fermi arcs are formed, and thus Maxwell equations contain topological terms. We explicitly demonstrate that two distinct lasing modes arise because of the presence of effective refractive indices which lead to the birefringence phenomena. Transfer matrix is constructed in such a way that reflection and transmission amplitudes involve 2 × 2 matrix-valued components describing the bimodal character of the TWS laser. We provide associated parameters of the topological laser system yielding the optimal impacts. We reveal that gain values corresponding to the lasing threshold display a quantized behavior, which occurs due to topological character of the system. Our proposal is supported by the corresponding graphical demonstrations. Our observations and predictions suggest a concrete way of forming TWS laser and coherent perfect absorber; and are awaited to be confirmed by an experimental realization based on our computations.

Observation of quantum topological Hall effect in the Weyl semimetal candidate HgSe

The magnetoresistance (MR) and Hall effect of a single HgSe crystal with an extremely low electron concentration of 8.8  ×  10¹⁵ cm^-3 were studied in a quantising magnetic field applied both along and across the direction of the electric current. As the result, a broad plateau was discovered in the ordinary (transverse) Hall resistance in the quantum limit. Within a framework of quantum spin Hall effect for an inversion breaking Weyl semimetal, we associate this plateau with a contribution to Hall conductivity from Chern insulator edge states when only a zero Landau level is occupied. In addition to the plateau in the quantum limit, we also detected a well-developed plateau-like behaviour in a phenomenologically-introduced 'longitudinal' Hall resistivity. In the 'longitudinal' Hall conductivity, a step-like behaviour was revealed, which we identify with the discovery of half-integer quantum spin Hall effect in HgSe. This effect, being purely topological in origin, supplements the non-trivial Weyl semimetal physics and may serve as a promising magnetotransport method for the detection of Weyl nodes in a studied material.

Thermodynamic Signatures of Weyl Fermions in NbP

We present a high magnetic field study of NbP—a member of the monopnictide Weyl semimetal (WSM) family. While the monoarsenides (NbAs and TaAs) have topologically distinct left and right-handed Weyl fermi surfaces, NbP is argued to be “topologically trivial” due to the fact that all pairs of Weyl nodes are encompassed by a single Fermi surface. We use torque magnetometry to measure the magnetic response of NbP up to 60 tesla and uncover a Berry paramagnetic response, characteristic of the topological Weyl nodes, across the entire field range. At the quantum limit B^* (≈32 T), τ/B experiences a change in slope when the chemical potential enters the last Landau level. Our calculations confirm that this magnetic response arises from band topology of the Weyl pocket, even though the Fermi surface encompasses both Weyl nodes at zero magnetic field. We also find that the magnetic field pulls the chemical potential to the chiral n = 0 Landau level in the quantum limit, providing a disorder-free way of accessing chiral Weyl fermions in systems that are “not quite” WSMs in zero magnetic field.

Strong-correlation induced high-mobility electrons in Dirac semimetal of perovskite oxide

Electrons in conventional metals become less mobile under the influence of electron correlation. Contrary to this empirical knowledge, we report here that electrons with the highest mobility ever found in known bulk oxide semiconductors emerge in the strong-correlation regime of the Dirac semimetal of perovskite CaIrO₃. The transport measurements reveal that the high mobility exceeding 60,000 cm²V⁻¹s⁻¹ originates from the proximity of the Fermi energy to the Dirac node (ΔE < 10 meV). The calculation based on the density functional theory and the dynamical mean field theory reveals that the energy difference becomes smaller as the system approaches the Mott transition, highlighting a crucial role of correlation effects cooperating with the spin-orbit coupling. The correlation-induced self-tuning of Dirac node enables the quantum limit at a modest magnetic field with a giant magnetoresistance, thus providing an ideal platform to study the novel phenomena of correlated Dirac electron.

Electron correlation normally makes electrons less mobile, but it is still not clear when correlation becomes very strong in Dirac semimetals. Here, Fujioka et al. report a very high electron mobility exceeding 60,000 cm²V⁻¹s⁻¹ in correlated Dirac semimetal of perovskite CaIrO3, due to the enhanced electron correlation nearby the Mott transition.

Magnetic field-induced electronic phase transition in the Dirac semimetal state of black phosphorus under pressure

Different instabilities have been confirmed to exist in the three-dimensional (3D) electron gas when it is confined to the lowest Landau level in the extreme quantum limit. The recently discovered 3D topological semimetals offer a good platform to explore these phenomena due to the small sizes of their Fermi pockets, which means the quantum limit can be achieved at relatively low magnetic fields. In this work, we report the high-magnetic-field transport properties of the Dirac semimetal state in pressurized black phosphorus. Under applied hydrostatic pressure, the band structure of black phosphorus goes through an insulator-semimetal transition. In the high pressure topological semimetal phase, anomalous behaviors are observed on both magnetoresistance and Hall resistivity beyond the relatively low quantum limit field, which is demonstrated to indicate the emergence of an exotic electronic state hosting a density wave ordering. Our findings bring the first insight into the electronic interactions in black phosphorus under intense field.

Landau Quantization in Coupled Weyl Points: A Case Study of Semimetal NbP

Weyl semimetal (WSM) is a newly discovered quantum phase of matter that exhibits topologically protected states characterized by two separated Weyl points with linear dispersion in all directions. Here, via combining theoretical analysis and magneto-infrared spectroscopy of an archetypal Weyl semimetal, niobium phosphide, we demonstrate that the coupling between Weyl points can significantly modify the electronic structure of a WSM and provide a new twist to the protected states. These findings suggest that the coupled Weyl points should be considered as the basis for analysis of realistic WSMs.