English

Bulk Topological Invariants in Noninteracting Point Group Symmetric Insulators

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics 2012-11-15 v2

Abstract

We survey various quantized bulk physical observables in two- and three-dimensional topological band insulators invariant under translational symmetry and crystallographic point group symmetries (PGS). In two-dimensional insulators, we show that: (i) the Chern number of a CnC_n-invariant insulator can be determined, up to a multiple of nn, by evaluating the eigenvalues of symmetry operators at high-symmetry points in the Brillouin zone; (ii) the Chern number of a CnC_n-invariant insulator is also determined, up to a multiple of nn, by the CnC_n eigenvalue of the Slater determinant of a noninteracting many-body system and (iii) the Chern number vanishes in insulators with dihedral point groups DnD_n, and the quantized electric polarization is a topological invariant for these insulators. In three-dimensional insulators, we show that: (i) only insulators with point groups CnC_n, CnhC_{nh} and SnS_n PGS can have nonzero 3D quantum Hall coefficient and (ii) only insulators with improper rotation symmetries can have quantized magnetoelectric polarization P3P_3 in the term P3EBP_3\mathbf{E}\cdot\mathbf{B}, the axion term in the electrodynamics of the insulator (medium).

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1207.5767,
  title  = {Bulk Topological Invariants in Noninteracting Point Group Symmetric Insulators},
  author = {Chen Fang and Matthew J. Gilbert and B. Andrei Bernevig},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1207.5767},
  year   = {2012}
}

Comments

15 pages for main text, 5 pages for appendices, three figures and three tables