Dynamical conductivity of the Fermi arc and the Volkov-Pankratov states on the surface of Weyl semimetals

Abstract: Weyl semimetals are known to host massless surface states called Fermi arcs. These Fermi arcs are the manifestation of the bulk-edge correspondence in topological matter and thus are analogous to the topological chiral surface states of topological insulators. It has been shown that the latter, depending on the smoothness of the surface, host massive Volkov-Pankratov(VP) states that coexist with the chiral ones. Here, we investigate these VP states in the framework of Weyl semimetals, namely their density of states and magneto-optical response. We find the selection rules corresponding to optical transitions which lead to anisotropic responses to external fields. In the presence of a magnetic field parallel to the interface, the selection rules and hence the poles of the response functions are mixed.