Floquet-Engineered Odd-Parity Altermagnetic Higher-Order Topology in a Two-Dimensional Antiferromagnet Cr$_2$CH$_2$
Abstract
Periodic driving provides a platform to dynamically tailor quantum states of matter, yet its impact on symmetry-protected topological phases remains incompletely understood. Here, we demonstrate that periodic driving enables the realization of an odd-parity altermagnetic (AM) higher-order topological insulator (HOTI) phase in the CrCH monolayer. In equilibrium, CrCH is a 2D antiferromagnetic (AFM) HOTI protected by rotational symmetry, characterized by a symmetry indicator = and robust corner states. Under circularly polarized light (CPL), the system develops a f-wave altermagnetic state governed by the symmetry with odd-parity spin splitting. Despite substantial Floquet-induced band renormalization, the -protected corner states remain intact over a broad range of driving strengths, highlighting the altermagnetic higher-order topology under Floquet driving. As the light intensity increases, the system gradually evolves into an altermagnetic semimetallic state. These results establish a direct connection between magnetism and topology in a periodically driven AFM system, offering a route toward the control of coupled spin and topological transport.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2605.19184,
title = {Floquet-Engineered Odd-Parity Altermagnetic Higher-Order Topology in a Two-Dimensional Antiferromagnet Cr$_2$CH$_2$},
author = {Xiaorong Zou and Hyeon Suk Shin and Baibiao Huang and Yanmei Zang and Ying Dai and Chengwang Niu and Chang-Jong Kang and Chang Woo Myung},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2605.19184},
year = {2026}
}