No Arabic abstract
The canonical Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model is one of the basic geometries that have spurred significant interest in topologically nontrivial bandgap modes with robust properties. Here, we show that the inclusion of suitable third-order Kerr nonlinearities in SSH arrays opens rich new physics in topological insulators, including the possibility of supporting self-induced topological transitions based on the applied intensity. We highlight the emergence of a new class of topological solutions in nonlinear SSH arrays, localized at the array edges. As opposed to their linear counterparts, these nonlinear states decay to a plateau with non-zero amplitude inside the array, highlighting the local nature of topologically nontrivial bandgaps in nonlinear systems. We derive the conditions under which these unusual responses can be achieved, and their dynamics as a function of applied intensity. Our work paves the way to new directions in the physics of topologically non-trivial edge states with robust propagation properties based on nonlinear interactions in suitably designed periodic arrays.
Gated heterostructures containing bilayer graphene with staggered sublattice potentials are investigated by tight binding model with Rashba spin-orbital coupling and Hubbard interaction. The topological phase diagrams depend on the combinations of substrates and the Hubbard interaction. The presence of the staggered sublattice potential favor the topological phase transition with small Rashba spin-orbital coupling strength. The presence of the Hubbard interaction modified the topological phase boundaries, increasing the minimal spin-orbital coupling strength for topological phase transition. A phase space of topological semi-metal with indirect band gap is identified in the non-interacting systems. For the bilayer graphene with different staggered sublattice potentials in the two layers, the conditions for the zigzag nanoribbons to host edge polarized chiral edge states are discussed. The conditions require moderate or vanishing Rashba spin-orbital coupling strength, as well as proper range of the gate voltage. The conditions for the systems with and without the Hubbard interaction are compared. The edge polarization can be controlled by the gate voltage.
In the usual Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) chain, the topology of the energy spectrum is divided into two categories in different parameter regions. Here we study the topological and nontopological edge states induced by qubit-assisted coupling potentials in circuit quantum electrodynamics (QED) lattice system modelled as a SSH chain. We find that, when the coupling potential added on only one end of the system raises to a certain extent, the strong coupling potential will induce a new topologically nontrivial phase accompanied with the appearance of a nontopological edge state in the whole parameter region, and the novel phase transition leads to the inversion of odd-even effect in the system directly. Furthermore, we also study the topological properties as well as phase transitions when two unbalanced coupling potentials are injected into both the ends of the circuit QED lattice system, and find that the system exhibits three distinguishing phases in the process of multiple flips of energy bands. These phases are significantly different from the previous phase induced via unilateral coupling potential, which is reflected by the existence of a pair of nontopological edge states under strong coupling potential regime. Our scheme provides a feasible and visible method to induce a variety of different kinds of topological and nontopological edge states through controlling the qubit-assisted coupling potentials in circuit QED lattice system both in experiment and theory.
Topological defects (TDs) in crystal lattices are elementary lattice imperfections that cannot be removed by local perturbations, due to their real space topology. We show that adding TDs into a valley photonic crystal generates a lattice disclination that acts like a domain wall and hosts topological edge states. The disclination functions as a freeform waveguide connecting a pair of TDs of opposite topological charge. This interplay between the real-space topology of lattice defects and band topology provides a novel scheme to implement large-scale photonic structures with complex arrangements of robust topological waveguides and resonators.
Electrons with a linear energy/momentum dispersion are called massless Dirac electrons and represent the low-energy excitations in exotic materials like Graphene and Topological Insulators (TIs). Dirac electrons are characterized by notable properties like a high mobility, a tunable density and, in TIs, a protection against backscattering through the spin-momentum looking mechanism. All those properties make Graphene and TIs appealling for plasmonics applications. However, Dirac electrons are expected to present also a strong nonlinear optical behavior. This should mirror in phenomena like electromagnetic induced transparency (EIT) and harmonic generation. Here, we demonstrate that in Bi2Se3 Topological Insulator, an EIT is achieved under the application of a strong terahertz (THz) electric field. This effect, concomitant determined by harmonic generation and charge-mobility reduction, is exclusively related to the presence of Dirac electron at the surface of Bi2Se_3, and opens the road towards tunable THz nonlinear optical devices based on Topological Insulator materials.
Ferromagnetism in topological insulators (TIs) opens a topologically non-trivial exchange band gap, providing an exciting platform to manipulate the topological order through an external magnetic field. Here, we experimentally show that the surface of an antiferromagnetic thin film can independently control the topological order of the top and the bottom surface states of a TI thin film through proximity couplings. During the magnetization reversal in a field scan, two intermediate spin configurations stem from unsynchronized magnetic switchings of the top and the bottom AFM/TI interfaces. These magnetic configurations are shown to result in new topological phases with non-zero Chern numbers for each surface, introducing two counter-propagating chiral edge modes inside the exchange gap. This change in the number of transport channels, as the result of the topological transitions, induces antisymmetric magneto-resistance spikes during the magnetization reversal. With the high Neel ordering temperature provided by the antiferromagnetic layers, the signature of the induced topological transition persists in transport measurements up to a temperature of around 90 K, a factor of three over the Curie temperature in a typical magnetically doped TI thin film.