Abstract
Weyl semimetals typically appear in systems in which either
time-reversal (T ) or inversion (P ) symmetry is broken. Here we show
that in the presence of gauge potentials these topological states of
matter can also arise in fermionic lattices preserving both T and P . We
analyze in detail the case of a cubic lattice model with π fluxes,
discussing the role of gauge symmetries in the formation of Weyl points
and the difference between the physical and the canonical T and P
symmetries. We examine the robustness of this P T -invariant Weyl
semimetal phase against perturbations that remove the chiral sublattice
symmetries, and we discuss further generalizations. Finally, motivated
by advances in ultracold-atom experiments and by the possibility of
using synthetic magnetic fields, we study the effect of random
perturbations of the magnetic fluxes, which can be compared to a local
disorder in realistic scenarios.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Physical Review B |
| Volume | 94 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| Pages (from-to) | 85107 |
| ISSN | 2469-9950 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 5 Aug 2016 |
| Externally published | Yes |