English

Catalog of noninteracting tight-binding models with two energy bands in one dimension

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics 2023-06-02 v2 Disordered Systems and Neural Networks

Abstract

We classify Hermitian tight-binding models describing noninteracting electrons on a one-dimensional periodic lattice with two energy bands. To do this, we write a generalized Rice-Mele model with two orbitals per unit cell, including all possible complex-valued long-range hoppings consistent with Hermicity. We then apply different forms of time-reversal, charge-conjugation and chiral symmetry in order to constrain the parameters, resulting in an array of possible models in different symmetry classes. For each symmetry class, we define a single, canonical form of the Hamiltonian and identify models that are related to the canonical form by an off-diagonal unitary transformation in the atomic basis. The models have either symmorphic or nonsymmorphic nonspatial symmetries (time TT, chiral and charge-conjugation). The nonsymmorphic category separates into two types of state of matter: an insulator with a Z2\mathbb{Z}_2 topological index in the absence of nonsymmorphic time-reversal symmetry or, in the presence of nonsymmorphic time-reversal symmetry, a metallic state. The latter is an instance of Kramer's degeneracy with one degeneracy point in the Brillouin zone as opposed to no degeneracy points in symmorphic systems with T2=1T^2 = 1 and two in symmorphic systems with T2=1T^2 = - 1.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2303.06973,
  title  = {Catalog of noninteracting tight-binding models with two energy bands in one dimension},
  author = {Edward McCann},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2303.06973},
  year   = {2023}
}

Comments

27 pages, 12 figures