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Floquet-Engineered Odd-Parity Altermagnetic Higher-Order Topology in a Two-Dimensional Antiferromagnet Cr$_2$CH$_2$

Computational Physics 2026-05-25 v2 Materials Science

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 Cr2_2CH2_2 monolayer. In equilibrium, Cr2_2CH2_2 is a 2D antiferromagnetic (AFM) HOTI protected by C3\mathcal C_3 rotational symmetry, characterized by a symmetry indicator χ(3)\chi^{(3)} = {2,1}\{-2,1\} and robust corner states. Under circularly polarized light (CPL), the system develops a f-wave altermagnetic state governed by the symmetry [C23001][C_{2}||\overline{3}_{001}] with odd-parity spin splitting. Despite substantial Floquet-induced band renormalization, the C3\mathcal C_3-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}
}