Electronic correlations shape the low-energy optical response of the kagome antiferromagnets Mn3Sn and Mn3Ge
Abstract
Using optical spectroscopy and density functional theory, we provide evidence that electron-electron interactions strongly affect the properties of the kagome antiferromagnet Mn3Sn, since its low-energy optical interband transitions arise exclusively from the correlation-modified electronic band structure. Mn3Sn possesses an optical effective mass about three times larger than that of its isostructural analog Mn3Ge. The DFT+U treatment in the Lichtenstein formulation, with an on-site Coulomb repulsion U = 4~eV and Hund's coupling J = 0.25~eV, accounts for the optical transitions in Mn3Sn, whereas those in Mn3Ge are already reproduced without Hubbard corrections (U, J = 0). The near-isotropic electronic structure of Mn3Sn reveals a three-dimensional metal whose electronic response is shaped prominently by the Mn d-states. The apparent linear regime in σ1(ω) observed in Mn3Sn and Mn3Ge arises from several overlapping interband transitions and therefore should not be interpreted as the optical signature of the Weyl cones. The optical response does not alter with magnetic field up to 17 T, consistent with strong free-carrier screening. Our findings establish a comprehensive-correlated picture of Mn3Sn and Mn3Ge that offers a template for other correlated topological metals.
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BibTeX
@misc{roy2026electronic,
title = {{Electronic correlations shape the low-energy optical response of the kagome antiferromagnets Mn$_3$Sn and Mn$_3$Ge}},
author = {R. Mathew Roy and Bo Tai and Maxim Wenzel and Achyut Tiwari and Mykhaylo Ozerov and Chandra Shekhar and Claudia Felser and Artem V. Pronin and Xiaolong Feng and Martin Dressel},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.18744},
eprint = {2609.18744},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.18744},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Electronic correlations shape the low-energy optical response of the kagome antiferromagnets Mn_3Sn and Mn_3Ge
AU - R. Mathew Roy
AU - Bo Tai
AU - Maxim Wenzel
AU - Achyut Tiwari
AU - Mykhaylo Ozerov
AU - Chandra Shekhar
AU - Claudia Felser
AU - Artem V. Pronin
AU - Xiaolong Feng
AU - Martin Dressel
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/16
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.18744
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.18744
AB - Using optical spectroscopy and density functional theory, we provide evidence that electron-electron interactions strongly affect the properties of the kagome antiferromagnet Mn_3Sn, since its low-energy optical interband transitions arise exclusively from the correlation-modified electronic band structure. Mn_3Sn possesses an optical effective mass about three times larger than that of its isostructural analog Mn_3Ge. The DFT+U treatment in the Lichtenstein formulation, with an on-site Coulomb repulsion U = 4~eV and Hund's coupling J = 0.25~eV, accounts for the optical transitions in Mn_3Sn, whereas those in Mn_3Ge are already reproduced without Hubbard corrections (U, J = 0). The near-isotropic electronic structure of Mn_3Sn reveals a three-dimensional metal whose electronic response is shaped prominently by the Mn d-states. The apparent linear regime in σ_1(ω) observed in Mn_3Sn and Mn_3Ge arises from several overlapping interband transitions and therefore should not be interpreted as the optical signature of the Weyl cones. The optical response does not alter with magnetic field up to 17 T, consistent with strong free-carrier screening. Our findings establish a comprehensive-correlated picture of Mn_3Sn and Mn_3Ge that offers a template for other correlated topological metals.
ER -