Local Markers for Crystalline Topology

Cerjan A, Loring TA, Schulz-Baldes H (2024)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2024

Journal

Physical Review Letters American Physical Society

Book Volume: 132

Article Number: 073803

Journal Issue: 7

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.073803

Abstract

Over the last few years, crystalline topology has been used in photonic crystals to realize edge- and corner-localized states that enhance light-matter interactions for potential device applications. However, the band-theoretic approaches currently used to classify bulk topological crystalline phases cannot predict the existence, localization, or spectral isolation of any resulting boundary-localized modes. While interfaces between materials in different crystalline phases must have topological states at some energy, these states need not appear within the band gap, and thus may not be useful for applications. Here, we derive a class of local markers for identifying material topology due to crystalline symmetries, as well as a corresponding measure of topological protection. As our real-space-based approach is inherently local, it immediately reveals the existence and robustness of topological boundary-localized states, yielding a predictive framework for designing topological crystalline heterostructures. Beyond enabling the optimization of device geometries, we anticipate that our framework will also provide a route forward to deriving local markers for other classes of topology that are reliant upon spatial symmetries.

Authors with CRIS profile

Hermann Schulz-Baldes Professur für Mathematik (Mathematische Physik)

Involved external institutions

University of New Mexico (UNM) / Universidad de Nuevo México US United States (USA) (US) Sandia National Laboratories US United States (USA) (US)

How to cite

APA:

Cerjan, A., Loring, T.A., & Schulz-Baldes, H. (2024). Local Markers for Crystalline Topology. Physical Review Letters, 132(7). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.073803

MLA:

Cerjan, Alexander, Terry A. Loring, and Hermann Schulz-Baldes. "Local Markers for Crystalline Topology." Physical Review Letters 132.7 (2024).

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