First order topological phase transition of the Haldane--Hubbard model

Abstract: We study the interplay of topological band structure and conventional magnetic long-range order in spinful Haldane model with onsite repulsive interaction. Using the dynamical cluster approximation with clusters of up to 24 sites we find evidence of a first order phase transition from a Chern insulator at weak coupling to a topologically trivial antiferromagnetic insulator at strong coupling. These results call into question a previously found intermediate state with coexisting topological character and antiferromagnetic long-range order. Experimentally measurable signatures of the first order transition include hysteretic behavior of the double occupancy, single-particle excitation gap and nearest neighbor spin-spin correlations. This first order transition is contrasted with a continuous phase transition from the conventional band insulator to the antiferromagnetic insulator in the ionic Hubbard model on the honeycomb lattice.