Anomalous tunneling characteristic of Weyl semimetals with tilted energy dispersion

Abstract

Weyl semimetals are recently discovered states of quantum matter, which generally possess tilted energy dispersion. Here, we investigate the electron tunneling through a Weyl semimetal p-n-p junction. The angular dependence of electron tunneling exhibits an anomalous profile such that perfect transmission angles are shifted along the direction of the tilt. Coupling of the tilted dispersion and electrical potential within the barrier region gives rise to a transverse momentum shift, which is analogous to the transverse Lorentz displacement induced by magnetic barriers.