English

Landau Levels of the Euler Class Topology

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics 2022-06-09 v3

Abstract

Two-dimensional systems with C2TC_{2}\mathcal{T} (PTP\mathcal{T}) symmetry exhibit the Euler class topology EZE\in\mathbb{Z} in each two-band subspace realizing a fragile topology beyond the symmetry indicators. By systematically studying the energy levels of Euler insulating phases in the presence of an external magnetic field, we reveal the robust gaplessness of the Hofstadter butterfly spectrum in the flat-band limit, while for the dispersive bands the gapping of the Landau levels is controlled by a hidden symmetry. We also find that the Euler class EE of a two-band subspace gives a lower bound for the Chern numbers of the magnetic subgaps. Our study provides new fundamental insights into the fragile topology of flat-band systems going beyond the special case of E=1E=1 as e.g.~in twisted bilayer graphene, thus opening the way to a very rich, still mainly unexplored, topological landscape with higher Euler classes.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2108.10353,
  title  = {Landau Levels of the Euler Class Topology},
  author = {Yifei Guan and Adrien Bouhon and Oleg V. Yazyev},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2108.10353},
  year   = {2022}
}