Topological invariants of edge states for periodic two-dimensional models
Mathematical Physics
2016-10-28 v2 Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
math.MP
Abstract
Transfer matrix methods and intersection theory are used to calculate the bands of edge states for a wide class of periodic two-dimensional tight-binding models including a sublattice and spin degree of freedom. This allows to define topological invariants by considering the associated Bott-Maslov indices which can be easily calculated numerically. For time-reversal symmetric systems in the symplectic universality class this leads to a Z_2-invariant for the edge states. It is shown that the edge state invariants are related to Chern numbers of the bulk systems and also to (spin) edge currents, in the spirit of the theory of topological insulators.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1202.0537,
title = {Topological invariants of edge states for periodic two-dimensional models},
author = {Julio Cesar Avila and Hermann Schulz-Baldes and Carlos Villegas-Blas},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1202.0537},
year = {2016}
}
Comments
typos corrected, to appear in Math. Phys., Anal. Geom