arXiv subjects

Christopher A. Leong

Publications and source records attributed to Christopher A. Leong.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Global phase diagram of two-dimensional dirty hyperbolic Dirac liquids

Within the framework of the canonical nearest-neighbor tight-binding model for spinless fermions, a family of two-dimensional bipartite hyperbolic lattices hosts massless Diraclike excitations near half-filling with the iconic vanishing density of states (DOS) near zero energy. We show that a collection of such ballistic quasiparticles remains stable against sufficiently weak pointlike charge impurities, a feature captured by the vanishing average [$ρ_{a}(0)$] and typical [$ρ_{t}(0)$] DOS at zero energy, computed by employing the kernel polynomial method in sufficiently large $\{ 10, 3\}$ hyperbolic lattices (Schläfli symbol) with open boundary condition containing more than $10^8$ and $10^6$ sites, respectively. However, at moderate disorder the system enters a metallic state via a continuous quantum phase transition where both $ρ_{a}(0)$ and $ρ_{t}(0)$ become finite. With increasing strength of disorder, ultimately an Anderson insulator sets in, where only $ρ_{t}(0) \to 0$. The resulting phase diagram for dirty Dirac fermions living on a hyperbolic space solely stems from the background negative spatial curvature, as confirmed from the vanishing $ρ_{t}(0)$ for arbitrarily weak disorder on honeycomb lattices, fostering relativistic fermions on a flatland, as the thermodynamic limit is approached.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Dirac fermions in non-Hermitian magnetic fields: Zero modes and index theorem

In a Lorentz symmetric non-Hermitian (NH) Dirac theory, containing the canonical relativistic Hamiltonian accompanied by a masslike anti-Hermitian Dirac operator, when the associated NH parameter becomes spatially modulated it couples massless Dirac fermions as NH gauge fields. With specific choices of such resulting NH gauge potential, the system experiences NH magnetic fields. When a planar Dirac system encloses a finite flux of such NH magnetic fields, a manifold of spatially localized \emph{right or left} zero-energy eigenmodes appear in the spectrum, which we numerically anchor from microscopic realizations of NH magnetic fields on graphene's honeycomb lattice. Potential experimental platforms to test these predictions are discussed. Altogether, zero-energy NH flat bands of right or left modes promise fascinating future realizations of NH magnetic catalysis, strongly-coupled NH fractional topological phases, and NH chiral anomaly, to name a few.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Non-Hermitian catalysis of spontaneous symmetry breaking on Euclidean and hyperbolic lattices

Depending on the lattice geometry, the nearest-neighbor (NN) tight-binding model for free fermions gives rise to particle-hole symmetric emergent Dirac liquid, Fermi liquid, and flat bands near the half-filling or zero-energy on bipartite Euclidean and hyperbolic lattices, respectively embedded on the flat and negatively curved spaces. Such noninteracting electronic fluids are characterized by a vanishing, a finite, and a diverging density of states near half-filling, respectively. A non-Hermitian generalization of this scenario resulting from an imbalance of the hopping amplitudes in the opposite directions between any pair of NN sites continues to accommodate a real eigenvalue spectrum over an extended non-Hermitian parameter regime. Most importantly, it reduces the band width without altering the characteristic scaling of the density of states close to the zero-energy. Here, we show that on two-dimensional bipartite Euclidean and hyperbolic lattices such a non-Hermiticity catalyzes the formation of both charge-density-wave and spin-density-wave orders at weaker (in comparison to the counterparts in conventional or Hermitian systems) NN Coulomb and on-site Hubbard repulsions, respectively. These two ordered states correspond to staggered patterns of average electronic density and spin between the NN sites, respectively, and both cause insulation in half-filled systems. We arrive at these conclusions by combining biorthogonal quantum mechanics and lattice-based self-consistent numerical mean-field analysis in the Hartree channel. We discuss the scaling of the associated mass gaps near the zero-energy with the non-Hermitian parameter, and also address the finite size scaling of the order parameters specifically on hyperbolic lattices with open boundary conditions. A robust general mathematical criterion for the proposed non-Hermitian catalysis mechanism for ordered phases is showcased.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Strained hyperbolic Dirac fermions: Zero modes, flat bands, and competing orders

Starting from the nearest-neighbor tight-binding model on {10,3} and {14,3} hyperbolic lattices that, for a uniform hopping amplitude, gives rise to emergent Dirac fermions on a curved space with a constant negative curvature, displaying a vanishing density of states, we propose spatially modulated hopping pattern therein that preserve the underlying 5- and 7-fold rotational symmetries, respectively, and effectively couples fermions to time-reversal symmetric axial magnetic fields. Such strain-induced axial fields produce a flat band near zero-energy, triggering nucleation of a charge density-wave, featuring a staggered pattern of fermionic density between two sublattices, and the Haldane phase fostering intra-sublattice circulating currents with a net zero magnetic flux for weak nearest- and next-nearest-neighbor Coulomb repulsions, respectively. Sufficiently weak on-site Hubbard repulsion destabilizes such flat bands toward the formation of a magnetic phase that simultaneously supports antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic orders in the whole system. While the magnetization in the bulk and boundary cancel each other, the Neél order is of the same sign everywhere, thereby yielding a global antiferromagnet. Throughout, we draw parallels between these findings and the well-studied qualitatively similar results on a 3-fold rotational symmetric strained honeycomb lattice, thereby unifying the phenomenon of axial magnetic catalysis for Dirac fermions, encompassing the ones living on the Euclidean plane. Finally, we show that with a specific class of non-Hermiticity, manifesting via an imbalance in the hopping amplitudes between two sublattices in the opposite directions, magnitudes of all these orders can be boosted substantially when all the eigenvalues in the noninteracting systems are real, staging a non-Hermitian amplification of axial magnetic catalysis.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Amplified magnetic catalysis in non-Hermitian Euclidean and hyperbolic Dirac liquids

Due to their iconic linearly vanishing density of states near the zero-energy, half-filled two-dimensional Dirac materials in flat Euclidean and negatively-curved hyperbolic spaces exhibit dynamic mass generation only once a critical interaction strength is surpassed. Application of external magnetic fields onto these systems can, however, trigger the formation of such ordered phases yielding isotropic insulation near the band-center at arbitrarily weak coupling, a phenomenon known as magnetic catalysis. Recently, it has been proposed that a specific type of non-Hermiticity, allowing the system to feature an all-real eigenvalue spectrum otherwise squeezed toward the zero-energy, can bring down the requisite critical coupling of a specific family of ordered phases, commuting class masses, to a desired lower finite value in Dirac systems, a phenomenon known as non-Hermitian catalysis (arXiv:2501.18591). Here, we predict that a confluence of external magnetic fields and such a non-Hermiticity can amplify the magnitude of commuting class masses for subcritical strengths of interactions in Dirac liquids, an emergent phenomenon named non-Hermitian amplification of magnetic catalysis. We anchor this prediction from numerical self-consistent mean-field solutions of the commuting class mass charge-density-wave (antiferromagnetic) order displaying a staggered pattern of average electronic density (magnetization) between the nearest neighboring sites of the half-filled Euclidean honeycomb and hyperbolic {10, 3} and {14, 3} lattices, all featuring emergent non-Hermitian Dirac quasiparticles, after decomposing the nearest-neighbor Coulomb (on-site Hubbard) repulsion in the Hartree channel. We discuss the scaling behavior of these two orders with magnetic field and non-Hermiticity over a wide range of subcritical interactions.. Possible experimental setups to test our predictions are discussed.

cond-mat.str-el↗