Fragility of Topology under Electronic Correlations in Iron Chalcogenides
Abstract
The interplay between electronic correlations and topology is a central topic in the study of quantum materials. In this Letter, we investigate the impact of the orbital-selective Mott phase (OSMP) on the topological properties of FeTe_{1-x}Se_{x} (FTS), an iron chalcogenide superconductor known to host both nontrivial Z_{2} topology and strong electronic correlations. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we track the evolution of topological surface states across various doping levels and temperatures. We identify a topological phase transition between trivial and nontrivial topology as a function of selenium content, with critical behavior observed between x=0.04 and x=0.09. Additionally, we find that at elevated temperatures, the coherence of the topological surface state deteriorates due to the emergence of OSMP, despite the topological invariant remaining intact. Our results demonstrate that the nontrivial topology in iron chalcogenide is fragile under strong electronic correlations.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Steels
Iron-based superconductors research
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Physical Review Letters
- Publisher
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Volume
- 136
- Issue
- 19
- Pages
- 196502–196502
- Publication date
- 17 April 2026
- Language
- EN