Topological Gap Opening without Symmetry Breaking from Dynamical Quantum Correlations
The study investigates how electron-electron interactions can cause a topological transition to open a gap without breaking symmetries, contrary to standard expectations. By solving a Bernevig-Hughes-Zhang model with local interactions and including quantum fluctuations, the authors show that dynamical correlations drive the transition into a first-order one. This phenomenon is analogous to the Coleman-Weinberg mechanism for mass generation in condensed matter.