Flux Response of Rotation-Invariant Topological Insulators

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Xun, Yechen, Zhang, Rui-Xing
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Xun, Yechen
Zhang, Rui-Xing
author_facet Xun, Yechen
Zhang, Rui-Xing
contents Threading magnetic flux into topological phases can induce bound states that reveal intrinsic properties of the ground state. In a 3D $\mathbb{Z}_2$ topological insulator, a quantized $π$ flux traps a pair of 1D helical modes, whereas a trivial insulator hosts none. In this work, we show that in the presence of even-fold rotation symmetry $C_n$, a 3D band insulator features a refined $\mathbb{Z}_2 \times \mathbb{Z}_2$ classification of the flux response. Specifically, it can host two distinct types of helical flux-bound modes that are distinguished by their angular momentum. When both types of flux modes coexist, the system is not a strong topological insulator, but a $C_n$-protected topological crystalline insulator. Building on this result, we propose that flux-threaded nanowires of such topological phase provide a natural platform for realizing 1D crystalline topological superconductors with multiple $C_n$-protected Majorana modes.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_08357
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Flux Response of Rotation-Invariant Topological Insulators
Xun, Yechen
Zhang, Rui-Xing
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Superconductivity
Threading magnetic flux into topological phases can induce bound states that reveal intrinsic properties of the ground state. In a 3D $\mathbb{Z}_2$ topological insulator, a quantized $π$ flux traps a pair of 1D helical modes, whereas a trivial insulator hosts none. In this work, we show that in the presence of even-fold rotation symmetry $C_n$, a 3D band insulator features a refined $\mathbb{Z}_2 \times \mathbb{Z}_2$ classification of the flux response. Specifically, it can host two distinct types of helical flux-bound modes that are distinguished by their angular momentum. When both types of flux modes coexist, the system is not a strong topological insulator, but a $C_n$-protected topological crystalline insulator. Building on this result, we propose that flux-threaded nanowires of such topological phase provide a natural platform for realizing 1D crystalline topological superconductors with multiple $C_n$-protected Majorana modes.
title Flux Response of Rotation-Invariant Topological Insulators
topic Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Superconductivity
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.08357