# Topology of SmB$_6$ determined by dynamical mean field theory

## TL;DR

This study uses advanced theoretical calculations to demonstrate that SmB6 is a strongly correlated topological insulator, clarifying its electronic structure and surface states, and resolving debates about its topological nature.

## Contribution

The paper introduces the pole extended Hamiltonian approach to accurately capture self-energy effects, establishing SmB6 as a correlated topological insulator distinct from a Kondo insulator.

## Key findings

- SmB6 is a strongly correlated topological insulator.
- The pole extended Hamiltonian accurately models self-energy effects.
- Analysis of surface states clarifies experimental interpretations.

## Abstract

Whether SmB6 is a topological insulator remains hotly debated. Our density functional theory plus dynamical mean field theory calculations are in excellent agreement with a large range of experiments, from the 4f5.5 intermediate valency to x-ray and photoemission spectra. Using the pole extended (PE) Hamiltonian, which fully captures the self-energy, we show that SmB6 is a strongly correlated topological insulator, albeit not a Kondo insulator. The PE Hamiltonian is proved to be topological (in)equivalent to the topological Hamiltonian for (non-)local self-energies. The topological surface states are analyzed, addressing conflicting interpretations of photoemission data.