Temperature-driven gapless topological insulator

TL;DR

This paper explores how temperature-induced disorder can lead to novel gapless and topological phases in a complex model combining topology, interactions, and disorder, revealing new temperature-driven phase transitions.

Contribution

It introduces the phase diagram of the Haldane-Falicov-Kimball model at finite temperatures, unveiling a gapless topological insulator driven by temperature-induced disorder.

Findings

Discovery of a temperature-driven gapless topological insulating phase

Identification of an insulating charge ordered state with gapless excitations

Support for temperature-induced topological phase transitions in systems with large fermionic mass imbalance

Abstract

We investigate the phase diagram of the Haldane-Falicov-Kimball model -- a model combining topology, interactions and spontaneous disorder at finite temperatures. Using an unbiased numerical method, we map out the phase diagram on the interaction--temperature plane. Along with known phases, we unveil an \textit{insulating charge ordered state with gapless excitations }and a temperature-driven \textit{gapless topological insulating} phase. Intrinsic -- temperature generated -- disorder, is the key ingredient explaining the unexpected behavior. Our findings support the possibility of having temperature-driven topological phase transitions into gapped and gapless topological insulating phases in systems with a large mass unbalance in fermionic species.