Intrinsic (Axion) Statistical Topological Insulator

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chen, Xi, Wang, Fa-Jie, Bi, Zhen, Song, Zhi-Da
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866915329731461120
author Chen, Xi
Wang, Fa-Jie
Bi, Zhen
Song, Zhi-Da
author_facet Chen, Xi
Wang, Fa-Jie
Bi, Zhen
Song, Zhi-Da
contents Ensembles that respect symmetries on average exhibit richer topological states than those in pure states with exact symmetries, leading to the concept of average symmetry-protected topological states (ASPTs). The free-fermion counterpart of ASPT is the so-called statistical topological insulator (STI) in disordered ensembles. In this work, we demonstrate the existence of an intrinsic STI, which has no clean counterpart. Using a real space construction (topological crystal), we find an axion STI characterized by the average axion angle $\barθ=π$, protected by an average $C_4T$ symmetry with $(C_4T)^4=1$. While the exact $C_{4}T$ symmetry reverses the sign of $θ$ angle, and hence seems to protect a $\mathbb{Z}_2$ classification of $θ\!=\!0,π$, we prove that the $θ\!=\!π$ state cannot be realized in the clean limit if $(C_{4}T)^4 \!=\! 1$. Therefore, the axion STI lacks band insulator correspondence and is thus intrinsic. To illustrate this state, we construct a lattice model and numerically explore its phase diagram, identifying an axion STI phase separated from both band insulators and trivial Anderson insulators by a metallic phase, revealing the intrinsic nature of the STI. We also argue that the intrinsic STI is robust against electron-electron interactions. Our work thus provides the first intrinsic crystalline ASPT and its lattice realization.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_00572
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Intrinsic (Axion) Statistical Topological Insulator
Chen, Xi
Wang, Fa-Jie
Bi, Zhen
Song, Zhi-Da
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Ensembles that respect symmetries on average exhibit richer topological states than those in pure states with exact symmetries, leading to the concept of average symmetry-protected topological states (ASPTs). The free-fermion counterpart of ASPT is the so-called statistical topological insulator (STI) in disordered ensembles. In this work, we demonstrate the existence of an intrinsic STI, which has no clean counterpart. Using a real space construction (topological crystal), we find an axion STI characterized by the average axion angle $\barθ=π$, protected by an average $C_4T$ symmetry with $(C_4T)^4=1$. While the exact $C_{4}T$ symmetry reverses the sign of $θ$ angle, and hence seems to protect a $\mathbb{Z}_2$ classification of $θ\!=\!0,π$, we prove that the $θ\!=\!π$ state cannot be realized in the clean limit if $(C_{4}T)^4 \!=\! 1$. Therefore, the axion STI lacks band insulator correspondence and is thus intrinsic. To illustrate this state, we construct a lattice model and numerically explore its phase diagram, identifying an axion STI phase separated from both band insulators and trivial Anderson insulators by a metallic phase, revealing the intrinsic nature of the STI. We also argue that the intrinsic STI is robust against electron-electron interactions. Our work thus provides the first intrinsic crystalline ASPT and its lattice realization.
title Intrinsic (Axion) Statistical Topological Insulator
topic Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.00572