Index Theorem on Chiral Landau Bands for Topological Fermions

Abstract

Topological fermions as excitations from multidegenerate Fermi points have been attracting increasing interest in condensed matter physics. They are characterized by topological charges, and magnetic fields are usually applied in experiments for their detection. Here we present an index theorem that reveals the intrinsic connection between the topological charge of a Fermi point and the in-gap modes in the Landau band structure. The proof is based on mapping fermions under magnetic fields to a topological insulator whose topological number is exactly the topological charge of the Fermi point. Our Letter lays a solid foundation for the study of intriguing magnetoresponse effects of topological fermions.