Topological zero-modes of the spectral localizer of trivial metals

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Franca, Selma, Grushin, Adolfo G.
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2023
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author Franca, Selma
Grushin, Adolfo G.
author_facet Franca, Selma
Grushin, Adolfo G.
contents Topological insulators are described by topological invariants that can be computed by integrals over momentum space, but also as traces over local, real-space topological markers. These markers are useful to detect topological insulating phases in disordered crystals, quasicrystals and amorphous systems. Among these markers, only the spectral localizer operator can be used to distinguish topological metals, that show zero-modes of the localizer spectrum. However, it remains unclear whether trivial metals also display zero-modes, and if their localizer spectrum is distinguishable from topological ones. Here, we show that trivial metals generically display zero-modes of the localizer spectrum. The localizer zero-modes are determined by the zero-mode solutions of a Dirac equation with a varying mass parameter. We use this observation, valid in any dimension, to determine the difference between the localizer spectrum of trivial and topological metals, and conjecture the spectrum of the localizer for fractional quantum Hall edges. Because the localizer is a local, real-space operator, it may be used as a tool to differentiate between non-crystalline topological and trivial metals, and characterize strongly correlated systems, for which local topological markers are scarce.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2304_01983
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Topological zero-modes of the spectral localizer of trivial metals
Franca, Selma
Grushin, Adolfo G.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Strongly Correlated Electrons
Topological insulators are described by topological invariants that can be computed by integrals over momentum space, but also as traces over local, real-space topological markers. These markers are useful to detect topological insulating phases in disordered crystals, quasicrystals and amorphous systems. Among these markers, only the spectral localizer operator can be used to distinguish topological metals, that show zero-modes of the localizer spectrum. However, it remains unclear whether trivial metals also display zero-modes, and if their localizer spectrum is distinguishable from topological ones. Here, we show that trivial metals generically display zero-modes of the localizer spectrum. The localizer zero-modes are determined by the zero-mode solutions of a Dirac equation with a varying mass parameter. We use this observation, valid in any dimension, to determine the difference between the localizer spectrum of trivial and topological metals, and conjecture the spectrum of the localizer for fractional quantum Hall edges. Because the localizer is a local, real-space operator, it may be used as a tool to differentiate between non-crystalline topological and trivial metals, and characterize strongly correlated systems, for which local topological markers are scarce.
title Topological zero-modes of the spectral localizer of trivial metals
topic Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Strongly Correlated Electrons
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.01983