Coexistence of Kondo effect and Weyl semimetallic states in Mn-doped MnxVAl3 compounds

Abstract

The strong correlation effect in Weyl semimetal is a critical issue in condensed matter physics. Recently, the Kondo effect in Weyl semimetal was theoretically proposed but not yet experimentally realized. Here we suggest a coexistence of the Weyl semimetal and Kondo effect in disordered Mn-doped MnxVAl3. Dilute Mn-doping in type-II Dirac semimetal VAl3 increases the chemical potential so that Dirac point is close to the Fermi energy and lifts band degeneracy, leading to the Weyl semimetal phase transition. We observed a Kondo effect, confirmed by the resistivity minimum at TK = 40 K, and logarithmic increase of electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and specific heat divided by temperature with a significant Sommerfeld coefficient at low temperature. The angle-resolved magnetoresistance has revealed the negative longitudinal magnetoresistance below Kondo temperature due to chiral anomaly in Mn-doped MnxVAl3. At low temperature below Kondo temperature (T ≤ TK), the exchange interaction by RKKY interaction in MnxVAl3 breaks time-reversal symmetry even in Kondo screening, resulting in the topological phase transition from Dirac to Weyl semimetal. This research shows the coexistence of the Kondo effect and Weyl semimetallic state as well as the temperature-induced topological phase transition.