Related papers: Assembling topological insulators with lasers
We consider a natural generalization of the lattice model for a periodic array of two layers, A and B, of spinless electrons proposed by Fu [Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 106802 (2011)] as a prototype for a crystalline insulator. This model has…
Itinerant electrons in a two-dimensional Kagome lattice form a Dirac semi-metal, similar to graphene. When lattice and spin symmetries are broken by various periodic perturbations this semi-metal is shown to spawn interesting non-magnetic…
We theoretically investigate a quantum spin-Hall topological laser formed by an array of dielectric ring resonators endowed of saturable gain. The system preserves time-reversal symmetry, the clockwise and counter-clockwise modes in each…
A Z2 topological insulator protected by time-reversal symmetry is realized via spin-orbit interaction driven band inversion. For example, the topological phase in the Bi-Sb system is due to an odd number of band inversions. A related…
We demonstrate the existence of topological insulators in one dimension protected by mirror and time-reversal symmetries. They are characterized by a nontrivial $\mathbb{Z}_2$ topological invariant defined in terms of the "partial"…
Spin-orbit (SO) coupling -- the interaction between a quantum particle's spin and its momentum -- is ubiquitous in nature, from atoms to solids. In condensed matter systems, SO coupling is crucial for the spin-Hall effect and topological…
Recent topological band theory distinguishes electronic band insulators with respect to various symmetries and topological invariants, most commonly, the time reversal symmetry and the $\rm Z_2$ invariant. The interface of two topologically…
In this work we study the possible occurrence of topological insulators for 2D fermions of high spin. They can be realized in cold fermion systems with ground-state atomic spin $F>\tfrac{1}{2}$, if the optical potential is properly…
We introduce a time-reversal-symmetric analog of the Hopf insulator that we call a spin Hopf insulator. The spin Hopf insulator harbors nontrivial Kane-Mele $\Z_2$ invariants on its surfaces, and is the first example of a nonmagnetic…
Topological physics provides novel insights for designing functional photonic devices, such as magnetic-free optical diodes, which are important in optical engineering and quantum information processing. Past efforts mostly focus on the…
Topological crystalline insulators (TCI) possess electronic states protected by crystal symmetries, rather than time-reversal symmetry. We show that the transition metal oxides with heavy transition metals are able to support nontrivial…
We study the topological properties of a spin-orbit coupled Hofstadter model on the Kagome lattice. The model is time-reversal invariant and realizes a $\mathbb{Z}_2$ topological insulator as a result of artificial gauge fields. We develop…
In typical topological insulator (TI) systems the TI is bordered by a non-TI insulator, and the surrounding conventional insulators, including vacuum, are not generally treated as part of the TI system. Here, we implement the first material…
We propose a novel scheme to simulate Z_2 topological insulators via one-dimensional (1D) cavity optomechanical cells array. The direct mapping between 1D cavity optomechanical cells array and 2D quantum spin Hall (QSH) system can be…
Topological insulators are new class of materials which are characterized by a bulk band gap like ordinary band insulator but have protected conducting states on their edge or surface. These states emerge out due to the combination of…
Topological insulator lasers are a newly introduced kind of lasers in which light snakes around a cavity without scattering. Like for an electron current in a topological insulator material, a topologically protected lasing mode travels…
We show that the decorated honeycomb lattice supports a number of topological insulating phases with a non-trivial Z_2 invariant and time-reversal symmetry protected gapless edge modes. We investigate the stability of these phases with…
Cold atoms with laser-induced spin-orbit (SO) interactions provide intriguing new platforms to explore novel quantum physics beyond natural conditions of solids. Recent experiments demonstrated the one-dimensional (1D) SO coupling for boson…
Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) with strong spin-orbit coupling combined with broken inversion symmetry, leading to a coupling of spin and valley degrees of freedom, make these materials highly interesting for potential…
We introduce a novel class of interaction-enabled topological crystalline insulators in two- and three-dimensional electronic systems, which we call "topological crystalline magnet." It is protected by the product of the time-reversal…