English

(2+1)D topological phases with RT symmetry: many-body invariant, classification, and higher order edge modes

Strongly Correlated Electrons 2025-12-04 v1 Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics High Energy Physics - Theory Quantum Physics

Abstract

It is common in condensed matter systems for reflection (RR) and time-reversal (TT) symmetry to both be broken while the combination RTRT is preserved. In this paper we study invariants that arise due to RTRT symmetry. We consider many-body systems of interacting fermions with fermionic symmetry groups Gf=Z2f×Z2RTG_f = \mathbb{Z}_2^f \times \mathbb{Z}_2^{RT}, U(1)fZ2RTU(1)^f \rtimes \mathbb{Z}_2^{RT}, and U(1)f×Z2RTU(1)^f \times \mathbb{Z}_2^{RT}. We show that (2+1)D invertible fermionic topological phases with these symmetries have a Z×Z8\mathbb{Z} \times \mathbb{Z}_8, Z2×Z2\mathbb{Z}^2 \times \mathbb{Z}_2, and Z2×Z4\mathbb{Z}^2 \times \mathbb{Z}_4 classification, respectively, which we compute using the framework of GG-crossed braided tensor categories. We provide a many-body RTRT invariant in terms of a tripartite entanglement measure, and which we show can be understood using an edge conformal field theory computation in terms of vertex states. For Gf=U(1)fZ2RTG_f = U(1)^f \rtimes \mathbb{Z}_2^{RT}, which applies to charged fermions in a magnetic field, the non-trivial value of the Z2\mathbb{Z}_2 invariant requires strong interactions. For symmetry-preserving boundaries, the phases are distinguished by zero modes at the intersection of the reflection axis and the boundary. Additional invariants arise in the presence of translation or rotation symmetry.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2403.18887,
  title  = {(2+1)D topological phases with RT symmetry: many-body invariant, classification, and higher order edge modes},
  author = {Ryohei Kobayashi and Yuxuan Zhang and Yan-Qi Wang and Maissam Barkeshli},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2403.18887},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

7 + 8 pages, 3 + 1 figures