Effects of strain and defects on the topological properties of HfTe 5

Manipulating topological states holds significant interest in the field of condensed matter physics. Here, the authors control the topological phase and corresponding quasiparticle dynamics by managing defects, and further reverse these effects through $i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}n$ $s\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}t\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}u$ uniaxial stress control in HfTe${}_{5}$. The findings showcase the potential of employing both defect chemistry and strain engineering as tools to manipulate topological phase transitions and related many-body physics.