Disorder-driven exceptional lines and Fermi ribbons in tilted nodal-line semimetals

We consider the impact of disorder on the spectrum of three-dimensional nodal-line semimetals. We show that the combination of disorder and a tilted spectrum naturally leads to a non-Hermitian self-energy contribution that can split a nodal line into a pair of exceptional lines. These exceptional lines form the boundary of an open and orientable bulk Fermi ribbon in reciprocal space on which the energy gap vanishes. We find that the orientation and shape of such a disorder-induced bulk Fermi ribbon is controlled by the tilt direction and the disorder properties, which can also be exploited to realize a twisted bulk Fermi ribbon with nontrivial winding number. Our results put forward a paradigm for the exploration of non-Hermitian topological phases of matter.Comment: Main Text (6 pages, 2 figures) + Supplemental Material (7 pages, 1 figure

“Burka” in Parliament and on the Catwalk

In Europe, face veils have become the ultimate symbols of Muslim “otherness.” The (presently stalled) attempts of the Dutch government to introduce a burka-ban highlight how misguided arguments about women's emancipation and national security are used to push a strongly assimilationist agenda. Ironically, while politicians hold on to a singly negative view of face-veils, trends in the fashion industry show that the boundaries between religion, fashion, and everyday social life are far more flexible than the political gaze is able to capture