Bulk-boundary quantum oscillations in inhomogeneous Weyl semimetals

Abstract

In a Weyl semimetal, a spatially inhomogeneous Weyl node separation caused by lattice deformations can mimic the action of axial electromagnetic fields. Such fields can locally drive a chiral magnetic effect, a local macroscopic current, in equilibrium. In the present work, we study the interplay of external and intrinsic magnetic fields and explore the fate of bulk boundary oscillations in systems subjected to strain gradients. We show that the emerging intrinsic fields leave distinct hallmarks on the period of the oscillations by modifying the particle trajectories. This makes the oscillations depend on the geometry of the system in an analytically traceable manner. We, therefore, predict that quantum oscillations are a natural way to observe and quantify intrinsic magnetic fields, both of which have not been achieved yet in the solid state.