Realization of Weyl semimetal phases in topoelectrical circuits

Abstract

In this work, we demonstrate a simple and effective method to design and realize various Weyl semimetal (WSM) states in a three-dimensional periodic circuit lattice composed of passive electric circuit elements such as inductors and capacitors (LC). The experimental accessibility of such LC circuits offers a ready platform for the realization of not only various WSM phases but also for exploring transport properties in topological systems. The characteristics of such LC circuits are described by the circuit admittance matrices, which are mathematically related to the Hamiltonian of the quantum tight-binding model. The system can be switched between the Type-I and Type-II WSM phases simply by an appropriate choice of inductive or capacitive coupling between certain nodes. A peculiar phase with a flat admittance band emerges at the transition between the Type-I and Type-II Weyl phases. Impedance resonances occur in the LC circuits at certain frequencies associated with vanishing eigenvalues of the admittance matrix. The impedance readout can be used to classify the Type-I and Type-II WSM states. A Type-I WSM shows impedance peaks only at the Weyl points (WPs) whereas a Type-II WSM exhibits multiple secondary peaks near the WPs. This impedance behaviour reflects the vanishing and non-vanishing density of states at the Weyl nodes in the Type-I and Type-II WSM phases, respectively. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd on behalf of the Institute of Physics and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft.