Surface chiral metal in a bulk half-integer quantum Hall insulator

The study of the quantum Hall effect (QHE) in two-dimensional (2D) systems such as 2D electron gases and graphene has led to important breakthroughs in the development of many new concepts in modern physics. Although the QHE is not generally expected for bulk materials due to the band dispersion along the magnetic field direction, a bulk QHE has been observed in several materials. Here, we report on the observation of a unique bulk half-integer QHE in a topological semimetal BaMnSb2. In the extreme quantum limit, its quantum Hall state is accompanied by a 2D chiral metal at the surface, which represents a novel topological quantum liquid, not previously observed in bulk single crystal materials.