Three-dimensional quantum anomalous Hall effect in Weyl semimetals

Abstract: The quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) is a quantum phenomenon in which a two-dimensional system exhibits a quantized Hall resistance $h/e^2$ in the absence of magnetic field, where $h$ is the Planck constant and $e$ is the electron charge. In this work, we extend this novel phase to three dimensions and thus propose a three-dimensional QAHE exhibiting richer and more versatile transport behaviors. We first confirm this three-dimensional QAHE through the quantized Chern number, then establish its bulk-boundary correspondence, and finally reaffirm it via the distinctive transport properties. Remarkably, we find that the three-dimensional QAHE hosts two chiral surface states along one spatial direction while a pair of chiral hinge states along another direction, and the location of the hinge states depends sensitively on the Fermi energy. These two types of boundary states are further connected through a perpendicular chiral surface states, whose chirality is also Fermi energy dependent. Consequently, depending on the transport direction, its Hall resistance can quantize to $0$, $h/e^2$, or $\pm h/e^2$ when the Fermi energy is tuned across the charge neutral point. This three-dimensional QAHE not only fill the gap in the Hall effect family but also holds significant potentials in device applications such as in-memory computing.