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Abstract Lorentz space–time symmetry represents a unifying feature of the fundamental forces, typically manifest at sufficiently high energies, while in quantum materials it emerges in the deep low-energy regime. However, its fate in quantum materials coupled to an environment thus far remained unexplored. We here introduce a general framework of constructing symmetry-protected Lorentz-invariant non-Hermitian (NH) Dirac semimetals (DSMs), realized by invoking masslike anti-Hermitian Dirac operators to its Hermitian counterpart. Such NH DSMs feature purely real or imaginary isotropic linear band dispersion, yielding a vanishing density of states. Dynamic mass orderings in NH DSMs thus take place for strong Hubbard-like local interactions through a quantum phase transition, hosting a non-Fermi liquid, beyond which the system becomes an insulator. We show that depending on the internal Clifford algebra between the NH Dirac operator and candidate mass order-parameter, the resulting quantum-critical fluid either remains coupled with the environment or recovers full Hermiticity by decoupling from the bath, while always enjoying an emergent Yukawa-Lorentz symmetry in terms of a unique terminal velocity. We showcase the competition between such mass orderings, their hallmarks on quasi-particle spectra in the ordered phases, and the relevance of our findings for correlated designer NH Dirac materials. 

Topological lattice defects, such as dislocations and grain boundaries (GBs), are ubiquitously present in the bulk of quantum materials and externally tunable in metamaterials. In terms of robust modes, localized near the defect cores, they are instrumental in identifying topological crystals, featuring the hallmark band inversion at a finite momentum (translationally active type). Here we show that the GB superlattices in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional translationally active higher-order topological insulators harbor a myriad of dispersive modes that are typically placed at finite energies, but always well-separated from the bulk states. However, when the Burgers vector of the constituting edge dislocations points toward the gapless corners or hinges, both second-order and third-order topological insulators accommodate self-organized emergent topological metals near the zero energy (half-filling) in the GB mini Brillouin zone. We discuss possible material platforms where our proposed scenarios can be realized through the band-structure and defect engineering. 

Fractional Dirac materials (FDMs) feature a fractional energy-momentum relation E(k)∼|k|α, where α(<1) is a real noninteger number, in contrast to that in conventional Dirac materials with α=1. Here we analyze the effects of short- and long-range Coulomb repulsions in two- and three-dimensional FDMs. Only a strong short-range interaction causes nucleation of a correlated insulator that takes place through a quantum critical point. The universality class of the associated quantum phase transition is determined by the correlation length exponent ν−1=d−α and dynamic scaling exponent z=α, set by the band curvature. On the other hand, the fractional dispersion is protected against long-range interaction due to its nonanalytic structure. Rather, a linear Dirac dispersion gets generated under coarse graining, and the associated Fermi velocity increases logarithmically in the infrared regime, thereby yielding a two-fluid system. Altogether, correlated FDMs unfold a rich landscape accommodating unconventional emergent many-body phenomena.