ArXiv · 2026
Bulk-boundary correspondence guarantees the presence of robust, anomalous states on the boundary of topological matter. The edges of a two-dimensional Chern insulator harbor one-dimensional chiral states, which have a conductance n e²/h, where n is an integer that is solely determined by the bulk. In this work we show that step edges on the surface of three-dimensional topological metals have a robust conductance K e²/h, where K is also fixed by the bulk and assumes non-integer values. We explain this prediction on the basis of the topology of gapless systems, exemplify it on a lattice model, and connect to recent experimental observations of enhanced density of states at step-edges in topological metals.
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