Cubic edge dispersion in a semi-Dirac Chern insulator
Abstract
Topological edge states in Chern insulators are typically characterized by a linear dispersion relation inherited from the Dirac structure of the bulk Hamiltonian. Here we show that this paradigm can be fundamentally altered in systems with anisotropic semi-Dirac band structures. We introduce a minimal two-band lattice model realizing a semi-Dirac Chern insulator and determine its topological phase diagram analytically. Using a mass-domain-wall approach in a semi-infinite geometry, we derive an explicit expression for the chiral edge states and find that their low-energy dispersion scales cubically with momentum, . Numerical diagonalization of the corresponding tight-binding ribbon confirms the analytical prediction. Our results demonstrate that unconventional bulk band structures can produce qualitatively different boundary excitations, providing a route to engineering nonstandard chiral edge dynamics in topological materials and synthetic quantum systems.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2605.03459,
title = {Cubic edge dispersion in a semi-Dirac Chern insulator},
author = {Marta García Olmos and David Martín Tejedor and Mario Amado and Yuriko Baba and Rafael A. Molina},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2605.03459},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
6 figures, includes the supplemental material