Quantum Monte Carlo simulation of topological phase transitions

TL;DR

This paper uses quantum Monte Carlo simulations to investigate how electron-electron interactions influence topological phase transitions in 2D topological insulators and 3D Weyl semimetals, revealing that interactions can alter or suppress these transitions.

Contribution

It provides the first ab-initio quantum Monte Carlo analysis of interaction effects on topological phase transitions in these materials.

Findings

Electron-electron interactions can modify topological phase boundaries.

Interactions may extinguish certain topological phases.

Direct Chern number calculations reveal the impact of Coulomb interactions.

Abstract

We study the electron-electron interaction effects on topological phase transitions by the ab-initio quantum Monte Carlo simulation. We analyze two-dimensional class A topological insulators and three-dimensional Weyl semimetals with the long-range Coulomb interaction. The direct computation of the Chern number shows the electron-electron interaction modifies or extinguishes topological phase transitions.