Topologically distinct Weyl fermion pairs

Abstract

A Weyl semimetal has Weyl nodes that always come in pairs with opposite chiralities. Notably, different ways of connection between nodes are possible and would lead to distinct topologies. Here we identify their differences in many respects from two proposed models with different vorticities. One prominent feature is the behaviour of zeroth Landau levels (LLs) under magnetic field. We demonstrate that the magnetic tunneling does not always expel LLs from zero energy because the number of zero-energy modes is protected by the vorticity of the Weyl nodes, instead of the chirality. Other respects in disorder effects for weak (anti-)localization, surface Fermi arcs, and Weyl-node annihilation, are interesting consequences that await more investigation in the future.