Hysteresis of Axionic Charge Density Waves

TL;DR

This paper predicts hysteresis in the order parameter of axionic charge density waves induced by magnetic catalysis, with observable effects in magneto-conductivity, susceptibility, and optical responses, serving as experimental signatures.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of hysteresis in axionic charge density waves due to magnetic catalysis, linking theoretical predictions with potential experimental detection.

Findings

Hysteretic behavior predicted in the order parameter as a function of magnetic field.

Observable signatures include changes in magneto-conductivity and magnetic susceptibility.

Hysteresis could serve as a fingerprint for magnetic catalysis in condensed matter systems.

Abstract

Magnetic Catalysis is a known proposal for inducing dynamical axionic gapped phases by means of external magnetic fields from a Weyl or Dirac semimetal phase. At finite Fermi level, the phase transition is of first order type and the magnetic field needs to reach a critical value for the transition to take place. Using the theory of bubble nucleation, we predict the order parameter features a hysteretic behavior as a function of the external magnetic field. We also analyze the experimental consequences of this hysteretic behavior in several observables like magneto-conductivity, magnetic susceptibility and nonlinear optical coefficients. This hysteretic behavior might serve as a fingerprint of Magnetic Catalysis in Condensed Matter systems.