Issue |
EPL
Volume 107, Number 4, August 2014
|
|
---|---|---|
Article Number | 47007 | |
Number of page(s) | 6 | |
Section | Condensed Matter: Electronic Structure, Electrical, Magnetic and Optical Properties | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/107/47007 | |
Published online | 19 August 2014 |
Topological phases, topological flat bands, and topological excitations in a one-dimensional dimerized lattice with spin-orbit coupling
Institute for Theoretical Physics and Department of Modern Physics, University of Science and Technology of China - Hefei, 230026, PRC
Received: 27 May 2014
Accepted: 29 July 2014
The Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model describes a one-dimensional Z2 topological insulator, which has two topological distinct phases corresponding to two different dimerizations. When a modulated spin-orbit coupling is introduced into the SSH model, we find that the structure of the Bloch bands can be greatly changed, and most interestingly, a new topological phase with single zero-energy bound state which exhibits non-Abelian statistics at each end emerges, which suggests that a new topological invariant is needed to fully classify all phases. In a comparatively large range of parameters, we find that the modulated spin-orbit coupling induces a completely flat band with non-trivial topology. For the case with non-uniform dimerizaton, we find that the modulated spin-orbit coupling changes the symmetric structure of topological excitations known as solitons and antisolitons and when the modulated spin-orbit coupling is strong enough to induce a topological phase transition, the whole system is topologically non-trivial with the disappearance of solitons and antisolitons, consequently, the system is a real topological insulator with well-protected end states.
PACS: 71.10.Fd – Lattice fermion models (Hubbard model, etc.) / 32.10.Fn – Fine and hyperfine structure / 03.65.Vf – Phases: geometric; dynamic or topological
© EPLA, 2014
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