Two-dimensional Stiefel-Whitney insulators in liganded Xenes

Two-dimensional (2D) Stiefel-Whitney insulator (SWI), which is characterized by the second Stiefel-Whitney class, is a class of topological phases with zero Berry curvature. As an intriguing topological state, it has been well studied in theory but seldom realized in realistic materials. Here we propose that a large class of liganded Xenes, i.e., hydrogenated and halogenated 2D group-IV honeycomb lattices, are 2D SWIs. The nontrivial topology of liganded Xenes is identified by the bulk topological invariant and the existence of protected corner states. Moreover, the large and tunable bandgap (up to 3.5 eV) of liganded Xenes will facilitate the experimental characterization of the 2D SWI phase. Our findings not only provide abundant realistic material candidates that are experimentally feasible but also draw more fundamental research interest towards the topological physics associated with Stiefel-Whitney class in the absence of Berry curvature.

Topological phonons and electronic structure of Li2BaSi class of semimetals

Extension of the topological concepts to the Bosonic systems has led to the prediction of topological phonons in materials. Here we discuss the topological phonons and electronic structure of Li2BaX (X = Si, Ge, Sn, and Pb) materials using first-principles theoretical modelling. A careful analysis of the phonon spectrum of Li2BaX reveals an optical mode inversion with the formation of nodal line states in the Brillouin zone. Our electronic structure results reveal a double band inversion at the Γ point with the formation of inner nodal-chain states in the absence of spin-orbit coupling (SOC). Inclusion of the SOC opens a materials-dependent gap at the band crossing points and transitions the system into a trivial insulator state. We also discuss the lattice thermal conductivity and transport properties of Li2BaX materials. Our results show that coexisting phonon and electron nontrivial topology with robust transport properties would make Li2BaX materials appealing for device applications.

Pressure-induced superconductivity and structure phase transition in Pt2HgSe3

Recently monolayer jacutingaite (Pt2HgSe3), a naturally occurring exfoliable mineral, discovered in Brazil in 2008, has been theoretically predicted as a candidate quantum spin Hall system with a 0.5 eV band gap, while the bulk form is one of only a few known dual-topological insulators that may host different surface states protected by symmetries. In this work, we systematically investigate both structure and electronic evolution of bulk Pt2HgSe3 under high pressure up to 96 GPa. The nontrivial topology is theoretically stable, and persists up to the structural phase transition observed in the high-pressure regime. Interestingly, we found that this phase transition is accompanied by the appearance of superconductivity at around 55 GPa and the critical transition temperature Tc increases with applied pressure. Our results demonstrate that Pt2HgSe3 with nontrivial topology of electronic states displays a ground state upon compression and raises potentials in application to the next-generation spintronic devices.

Dynamics and stability of skyrmions in a bended nano-beam

Magnetic skyrmions are attracting much attention due to their nontrivial topology and high mobility to electric current. Nevertheless, suppression of the skyrmion Hall effect and maintaining high velocity of skyrmions with low energy cost are two major challenges concerning skyrmion-based spintronic devices. Here we show theoretically that in a nano-beam suffering appropriate bending moment, both Bloch-type and Néel-type skyrmions move with a vanishing Hall angle under a current density smaller than that required when the bending is absent. Moreover, bending alone can be used to move skyrmions, whose velocity is solved analytically from the Thiele equation. Generally speaking, inhomogeneous elastic fields affect the stability and dynamics of skyrmions, where the local stability is dominantly determined by the local bulk stress. These findings throw new light on how to drive skyrmions straightly with lower energy cost, which is vital for utilizing skyrmions as information carriers.

Combined Lorentz Symmetry: Lessons from Superfluid $$^3$$He

We consider the possibility of the scenario in which the P, T and Lorentz symmetry of the relativistic quantum vacuum are all the combined symmetries. These symmetries emerge as a result of the symmetry breaking of the more fundamental P, T and Lorentz symmetries of the original vacuum, which is invariant under separate groups of the coordinate transformations and spin rotations. The condensed matter vacua (ground states) suggest two possible scenarios of the origin of the combined Lorentz symmetry, and both are realized in the superfluid phases of liquid $$^3$$ 3 He: the $$^3$$ 3 He-A scenario and the $$^3$$ 3 He-B scenario. In these scenarios, the gravitational tetrads are considered as the order parameter of the symmetry breaking in the quantum vacuum. The $$^3$$ 3 He-B scenarios applied to the Minkowski vacuum lead to the continuous degeneracy of the Minkowski vacuum with respect to the O(3, 1) spin rotations. The symmetry breaking leads to the corresponding topological objects, which appear due to the nontrivial topology of the manifold of the degenerate Minkowski vacua, such as torsion strings. The fourfold degeneracy of the Minkowski vacuum with respect to discrete P and T symmetries suggests that the Weyl fermions are described by four different tetrad fields: the tetrad for the left-handed fermions, the tetrad for the right-handed fermions, and the tetrads for their antiparticles. This may lead to the gravity with several metric fields, so that the parity violation may lead to the breaking of equivalence principle. Finally, we considered the application of the gravitational tetrads for the solution of the cosmological constant problem.

Dark topological valley Hall edge solitons

Topological edge solitons propagating along the edge of a photonic topological insulator are localized self-sustained hybrid states that are immune to defects/disorders due to the protection of the edge states stemming from the nontrivial topology of the system. Here, we predict that exceptionally robust dark valley Hall edge solitons may form at the domain walls between two honeycomb lattices with broken inversion symmetry. The underlying structure can be created with femtosecond laser inscription, it possesses a large bandgap where well-localized dark edge solitons form, and in contrast to systems with broken time-reversal symmetry, it does not require external magnetic fields or complex longitudinal waveguide modulations for the realization of the topological phase. We present the envelope equation allowing constructing dark valley Hall edge solitons analytically. Such solitons propagate without radiation into the bulk of the lattice and can circumvent sharp corners, which allows observing their persistent circulation along the closed triangular domain wall boundary. They survive over huge distances even in the presence of disorder in the underlying lattice. We also investigate interactions of closely located dark topological valley Hall edge solitons and show that they are repulsive and lead to the formation of two gray edge solitons, moving with different group velocities departing from group velocity of the linear edge state on which initial dark solitons were constructed. Our results illustrate that nonlinear valley Hall systems can support a rich variety of new self-sustained topological states and may inspire their investigation in other nonlinear systems, such as atomic vapors and polariton condensates.

Engineering polar vortex from topologically trivial domain architecture

Topologically nontrivial polar structures are not only attractive for high-density data storage, but also for ultralow power microelectronics thanks to their exotic negative capacitance. The vast majority of polar structures emerging naturally in ferroelectrics, however, are topologically trivial, and there are enormous interests in artificially engineered polar structures possessing nontrivial topology. Here we demonstrate reconstruction of topologically trivial strip-like domain architecture into arrays of polar vortex in (PbTiO3)10/(SrTiO3)10 superlattice, accomplished by fabricating a cross-sectional lamella from the superlattice film. Using a combination of techniques for polarization mapping, atomic imaging, and three-dimensional structure visualization supported by phase field simulations, we reveal that the reconstruction relieves biaxial epitaxial strain in thin film into a uniaxial one in lamella, changing the subtle electrostatic and elastostatic energetics and providing the driving force for the polar vortex formation. The work establishes a realistic strategy for engineering polar topologies in otherwise ordinary ferroelectric superlattices.

Advances in Topological Materials

Materials with electronic bands that possess nontrivial topology have remained a focal point of condensed matter physics since 2005, when topological insulators were theoretically discovered by Kane and Mele [...]

Unusual competition of superconductivity and charge-density-wave state in a compressed topological kagome metal

Understanding the competition between superconductivity and other ordered states (such as antiferromagnetic or charge-density-wave (CDW) state) is a central issue in condensed matter physics. The recently discovered layered kagome metal AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, and Cs) provides us a new playground to study the interplay of superconductivity and CDW state by involving nontrivial topology of band structures. Here, we conduct high-pressure electrical transport and magnetic susceptibility measurements to study CsV3Sb5 with the highest Tc of 2.7 K in AV3Sb5 family. While the CDW transition is monotonically suppressed by pressure, superconductivity is enhanced with increasing pressure up to P1 ≈ 0.7 GPa, then an unexpected suppression on superconductivity happens until pressure around 1.1 GPa, after that, Tc is enhanced with increasing pressure again. The CDW is completely suppressed at a critical pressure P2 ≈ 2 GPa together with a maximum Tc of about 8 K. In contrast to a common dome-like behavior, the pressure-dependent Tc shows an unexpected double-peak behavior. The unusual suppression of Tc at P1 is concomitant with the rapidly damping of quantum oscillations, sudden enhancement of the residual resistivity and rapid decrease of magnetoresistance. Our discoveries indicate an unusual competition between superconductivity and CDW state in pressurized kagome lattice.