Engineering berry curvature and anomalous transport via dimensional confinement in correlated topological thin films

Abstract

Thin-film confinement provides a versatile strategy for tailoring the electronic structure and transport properties of quantum materials. Here, we investigate a correlated Weyl–Kondo lattice in an ultrathin-film geometry and demonstrate that reduced dimensionality stabilizes two-dimensional topological electronic states with strongly enhanced Berry curvature. Using a layer-resolved tight-binding framework, we examine band dispersions, surface localization, Berry-curvature textures, Chern numbers, and a field-tunable anomalous-Hall-like response as functions of film thickness, spin–orbit coupling, and Zeeman field. Confinement induces hybridization gaps, enhances surface-dominated spectral weight, and generates sharply localized Berry-curvature hotspots that drive discrete topological transitions. These behaviours highlight ultrathin correlated films as a promising class of materials for tunable Hall functionalities and device elements where magnetic or structural control offers access to nanoscale topological responses. The results establish a theoretical foundation for engineering correlation-enhanced Berry effects in thin-film heterostructures suitable for electronic and spintronic applications.