Excitons in topological Kondo insulators - theory of thermodynamic and transport anomalies in SmB$_6$

TL;DR

This paper proposes that excitons and magneto-excitons in topological Kondo insulators like SmB$_6$ explain longstanding thermodynamic and transport anomalies, advancing understanding of their bulk topological properties.

Contribution

It introduces a theory that excitons and magneto-excitons account for anomalies in SmB$_6$, linking collective excitations to topological signatures.

Findings

Excitons can form in topological Kondo insulators.

Magneto-excitons explain anomalies in magnetic fields.

Collective modes account for thermodynamic and transport anomalies.

Abstract

Kondo insulating materials lie outside the usual dichotomy of weakly versus correlated - band versus Mott - insulators. They are metallic at high temperatures but resemble band insulators at low temperatures because of the opening of an interaction induced band gap. The first discovered Kondo insulator (KI) SmB$_6$ has been predicted to form a topological KI (TKI) which mimics a topological insulator at low temperatures. However, since its discovery thermodynamic and transport anomalies have been observed that have defied a theoretical explanation. Enigmatic signatures of collective modes inside the charge gap are seen in specific heat, thermal transport and quantum oscillation experiments in strong magnetic fields. Here, we show that TKIs are susceptible to the formation of excitons and magneto-excitons. These charge neutral composite particles can account for long-standing anomalies in SmB$_6$ which is crucial for the identification of bulk topological signatures.