No Arabic abstract
The Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model on a two-dimensional square lattice has been considered as a significant platform for studying topological multipole insulators. However, due to the highly-degenerate bulk energy bands protected by $ C_{4v} $ and chiral symmetry, the discussion of the zero-energy topological corner states and the corresponding physical realization have been rarely presented. In this work, by tuning the hopping terms to break $ C_{4v} $ symmetry down to $ C_{2v} $ symmetry but with the topological phase invariant, we show that the degeneracies can be removed and a complete band gap can be opened, which provides robust protection for the spectrally isolated zero-energy corner states. Meanwhile, we propose a rigorous acoustic crystalline insulator and therefore these states can be observed directly. Our work reveals the topological properties of the robust zero-energy states, and provides a new way to explore novel topological phenomena.
In this paper we study the formation of topological Tamm states at the interface between a semi-infinite one-dimensional photonic-crystal and a metal. We show that when the system is topologically non-trivial there is a single Tamm state in each of the band-gaps, whereas if it is topologically trivial the band-gaps host no Tamm states. We connect the disappearance of the Tamm states with a topological transition from a topologically non-trivial system to a topologically trivial one. This topological transition is driven by the modification of the dielectric functions in the unit cell. Our interpretation is further supported by an exact mapping between the solutions of Maxwells equations and the existence of a tight-binding representation of those solutions. We show that the tight-binding representation of the 1D photonic crystal, based on Maxwells equations, corresponds to a Su-Schrieffer-Heeger-type model (SSH-model) for each set of pairs of bands. Expanding this representation near the band edge we show that the system can be described by a Dirac-like Hamiltonian. It allows one to characterize the topology associated with the solution of Maxwells equations via the winding number. In addition, for the infinite system, we provide an analytical expression for the photonic bands from which the band-gaps can be computed.
Topological insulators are a new class of materials that have attracted significant attention in contemporary condensed matter physics. They are different from the regular insulators and they display novel quantum properties that also involve the idea of `topology, an area of mathematics. Some of the fundamental ideas behind the topological insulators, particularly in low-dimensional condensed matter systems such as poly-acetylene chains, can be understood using a simple one-dimensional toy model popularly known as the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model or the SSH model. This model can also be used as an introduction to the topological insulators of higher dimensions. Here we give a concise description of the SSH model along with a brief review of the background physics and attempt to understand the ideas of topological invariants, edge states, and bulk-boundary correspondence using the model.
In this work, we investigate some aspects of an acoustic analogue of the two-dimensional Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model. The system is composed of alternating cross-section tubes connected in a square network, which in the limit of narrow tubes is described by a discrete model coinciding with the two-dimensional Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model. This model is known to host topological edge waves, and we develop a scattering theory to analyze how these waves scatter on edge structure changes. We show that these edge waves undergo a perfect reflection when scattering on a corner, incidentally leading to a new way of constructing corner modes. It is shown that reflection is high for a broad class of edge changes such as steps or defects. We then study consequences of this high reflectivity on finite networks. Globally, it appears that each straight part of edges, separated by corners or defects, hosts localized edge modes isolated from their neighbourhood.
Topological physics strongly relies on prototypical lattice model with particular symmetries. We report here on a theoretical and experimental work on acoustic waveguides that is directly mapped to the one-dimensional Su-Schrieffer-Heeger chiral model. Starting from the continuous two dimensional wave equation we use a combination of monomadal approximation and the condition of equal length tube segments to arrive at the wanted discrete equations. It is shown that open or closed boundary conditions topological leads automatically to the existence of edge modes. We illustrate by graphical construction how the edge modes appear naturally owing to a quarter-wavelength condition and the conservation of flux. Furthermore, the transparent chirality of our system, which is ensured by the geometrical constraints allows us to study chiral disorder numerically and experimentally. Our experimental results in the audible regime demonstrate the predicted robustness of the topological edge modes.
We consider two interacting bosons in a dimerized Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) lattice. We identify a rich variety of two-body states. In particular, for open boundary conditions and moderate interactions, edge bound states (EBS) are present even for the dimerization that does not sustain single-particle edge states. Moreover, for large values of the interactions, we find a breaking of the standard bulk-boundary correspondence. Based on the mapping of two interacting particles in one dimension onto a single particle in two dimensions, we propose an experimentally realistic coupled optical fibers setup as quantum simulator of the two-body SSH model. This setup is able to highlight the localization properties of the states as well as the presence of a resonant scattering mechanism provided by a bound state that crosses the scattering continuum, revealing the closed-channel population in real time and real space.