The Uhlmann phase of Higher-Order Topological Insulators at Finite Temperature

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Chen, Shiyu, He, Yan
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Chen, Shiyu
He, Yan
author_facet Chen, Shiyu
He, Yan
contents We have studied the finite-temperature topology of higher-order topological insulators (HOTIs) based on the Uhlmann phase, which is a phase angle of the Uhlmann overlap. As an example of HOTIs, the Hamiltonian of the Benalcazar-Bernevig-Hughes (BBH) model is constructed from Gamma matrices satisfying the Clifford algebra. This specific algebraic structure underpins the model's higher-order topological properties, including the quantization of the Uhlmann phase to $0$ or $π$. This quantization enables us to treat the abrupt jumps of the Uhlmann phase as an indication of the nontrivial topological phase of the BBH model at finite temperature. From the disappearance of these jumps, we determine the critical temperature at which the topological transition occurs. For a special choice of parameters, the Uhlmann overlap and the critical temperature can be computed analytically.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2606_00479
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The Uhlmann phase of Higher-Order Topological Insulators at Finite Temperature
Chen, Shiyu
He, Yan
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
We have studied the finite-temperature topology of higher-order topological insulators (HOTIs) based on the Uhlmann phase, which is a phase angle of the Uhlmann overlap. As an example of HOTIs, the Hamiltonian of the Benalcazar-Bernevig-Hughes (BBH) model is constructed from Gamma matrices satisfying the Clifford algebra. This specific algebraic structure underpins the model's higher-order topological properties, including the quantization of the Uhlmann phase to $0$ or $π$. This quantization enables us to treat the abrupt jumps of the Uhlmann phase as an indication of the nontrivial topological phase of the BBH model at finite temperature. From the disappearance of these jumps, we determine the critical temperature at which the topological transition occurs. For a special choice of parameters, the Uhlmann overlap and the critical temperature can be computed analytically.
title The Uhlmann phase of Higher-Order Topological Insulators at Finite Temperature
topic Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.00479