Weyl and Dirac Semimetals in Three Dimensional Solids

Understand

Weyl and Dirac semimetals are three dimensional phases of matter with gapless electronic excitations that are protected by topology and symmetry.

• As three dimensional analogs of graphene, they have generated much recent interest.
• Deep connections exist with particle physics models of relativistic chiral fermions, and -- despite their gaplessness -- to solid-state topological and Chern insulators.
• Their characteristic electronic properties lead to protected surface states and novel responses to applied electric and magnetic fields.