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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. 

A<sc>bstract</sc> We develop an effective quantum electrodynamics for non-Hermitian (NH) Dirac materials interacting with photons. These systems are described by nonspatial symmetry protected Lorentz invariant NH Dirac operators, featuring two velocity parametersυ_Handυ_NHassociated with the standard Hermitian and a masslike anti-Hermitian Dirac operators, respectively. They display linear energy-momentum relation, however, in terms of an effective Fermi velocity$$ {\upsilon}_{\textrm{F}}=\sqrt{\upsilon_{\textrm{H}}^2-{\upsilon}_{\textrm{NH}}^2} $$ ${\upsilon }_F=\sqrt{{\upsilon }_H^2-{\upsilon }_{\mathrm{NH}}^2}$of NH Dirac fermions. Interaction with the fluctuating electromagnetic radiation then gives birth to an emergent Lorentz symmetry in this family of NH Dirac materials in the deep infrared regime, where the system possesses a unique terminal velocityυ_F=c, withcbeing the speed of light. While in two dimensions such a terminal velocity is set by the speed of light in the free space, dynamic screening in three spatial dimensions permits its nonuniversal values. Manifestations of such an emergent spacetime symmetry on the scale dependence of various physical observables in correlated NH Dirac materials are discussed. 

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. 

Immersed in external magnetic fields (B), buckled graphene constitutes an ideal tabletop setup, manifesting a confluence of time-reversal symmetry (T) breaking Abelian (B) and T-preserving strain-induced internal axial (b) magnetic fields. In such a system, here we numerically compute two-terminal conductance (G), and four- as well as six-terminal Hall conductivity (σxy) for spinless fermions. On a flat graphene (b=0), the B field produces quantized plateaus at G=±|σxy|=(2n+1)e2/h, where n=0,1,2,⋯. The strain-induced b field lifts the twofold valley degeneracy of higher Landau levels and leads to the formation of additional even-integer plateaus at G=±|σxy|=(2,4,⋯)e2/h, when B>b. While the same sequence of plateaus is observed for G when b>B, the numerical computation of σxy in Hall bar geometries in this regime becomes unstable. A plateau at G=σxy=0 always appears with the onset of a charge-density-wave order, causing a staggered pattern of fermionic density between two sublattices of the honeycomb lattice.