Splitting obstructions and $\mathbb{Z}_2$ invariants in time-reversal symmetric topological insulators
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2025
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| author | Ferreri, Alessandro Monaco, Domenico Peluso, Gabriele |
| author_facet | Ferreri, Alessandro Monaco, Domenico Peluso, Gabriele |
| contents | The Fu-Kane-Mele $\mathbb{Z}_2$ index characterizes two-dimensional time-reversal symmetric topological phases of matter. We shed some light on some features of this index by investigating projection-valued maps endowed with a fermionic time-reversal symmetry.
Our main contributions are threefold. First, we establish a decomposition theorem, proving that any such projection-valued map admits a splitting into two projection-valued maps that are related to each other via time-reversal symmetry. Second, we provide a complete homotopy classification theorem for these maps, thereby clarifying their topological structure. Third, by means of the previous analysis, we connect the Fu-Kane-Mele index to the Chern number of one of the factors in the previously-mentioned decomposition, which in turn allows to exhibit how the $\mathbb{Z}_2$-valued topological obstruction to constructing a periodic and smooth Bloch frame for the projection-valued map, measured by the Fu-Kane-Mele index, can be concentrated in a single pseudo-periodic Kramers pair. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_10444 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Splitting obstructions and $\mathbb{Z}_2$ invariants in time-reversal symmetric topological insulators Ferreri, Alessandro Monaco, Domenico Peluso, Gabriele Mathematical Physics Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics 81-06, 81V70 The Fu-Kane-Mele $\mathbb{Z}_2$ index characterizes two-dimensional time-reversal symmetric topological phases of matter. We shed some light on some features of this index by investigating projection-valued maps endowed with a fermionic time-reversal symmetry. Our main contributions are threefold. First, we establish a decomposition theorem, proving that any such projection-valued map admits a splitting into two projection-valued maps that are related to each other via time-reversal symmetry. Second, we provide a complete homotopy classification theorem for these maps, thereby clarifying their topological structure. Third, by means of the previous analysis, we connect the Fu-Kane-Mele index to the Chern number of one of the factors in the previously-mentioned decomposition, which in turn allows to exhibit how the $\mathbb{Z}_2$-valued topological obstruction to constructing a periodic and smooth Bloch frame for the projection-valued map, measured by the Fu-Kane-Mele index, can be concentrated in a single pseudo-periodic Kramers pair. |
| title | Splitting obstructions and $\mathbb{Z}_2$ invariants in time-reversal symmetric topological insulators |
| topic | Mathematical Physics Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics 81-06, 81V70 |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.10444 |