Floquet engineering multi-channel Kondo lattices*

Floquet engineering consists of coupling a system to a periodic potential, typically light, leading to transient phases rare or even impossible to find in equilibrium. We show that the Kondo lattice can be Floquet-tuned to generate multichannel Kondo physics even when the equilibrium case has a single channel. By changing the driving protocol, we can tune to two and three-channel multicritical points. These emergent channels are differentiated by symmetry, and their strength can be controlled by light polarization, frequency, and amplitude. We first demonstrate our findings in a toy model on the square lattice. Then, we explore a realistic model for J = 5/2 Ce ions in a tetragonal environment, which presents unique features arising from spin-orbit coupling. Unpolarized light, constructed by polarization averaging [V. L. Quito and R. Flint, arXiv:2003.04272], can be particularly useful for designing multichannel Kondo lattices that present Floquet-induced Kondo models not found in equilibrium. The multichannel Kondo lattice can give rise to composite pair superconductivity, and we discuss how the nature of the superconductivity can be tuned, with application to the 115 materials.