Measuring topology in a laser-coupled honeycomb lattice: from Chern insulators to topological semi-metals
Ultracold fermions trapped in a honeycomb optical lattice constitute a versatile setup to experimentally realize the Haldane model (1988 Phys. Rev. Lett. 61 2015). In this system, a non-uniform synthetic magnetic flux can be engineered through laser-induced methods, explicitly breaking time-reversal...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2013-01-01
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| Series: | New Journal of Physics |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/15/1/013025 |
| _version_ | 1797751769309118464 |
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| author | N Goldman E Anisimovas F Gerbier P Öhberg I B Spielman G Juzeliūnas |
| author_facet | N Goldman E Anisimovas F Gerbier P Öhberg I B Spielman G Juzeliūnas |
| author_sort | N Goldman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ultracold fermions trapped in a honeycomb optical lattice constitute a versatile setup to experimentally realize the Haldane model (1988 Phys. Rev. Lett. 61 2015). In this system, a non-uniform synthetic magnetic flux can be engineered through laser-induced methods, explicitly breaking time-reversal symmetry. This potentially opens a bulk gap in the energy spectrum, which is associated with a non-trivial topological order, i.e. a non-zero Chern number. In this paper, we consider the possibility of producing and identifying such a robust Chern insulator in the laser-coupled honeycomb lattice. We explore a large parameter space spanned by experimentally controllable parameters and obtain a variety of phase diagrams, clearly identifying the accessible topologically non-trivial regimes. We discuss the signatures of Chern insulators in cold-atom systems, considering available detection methods. We also highlight the existence of topological semi-metals in this system, which are gapless phases characterized by non-zero winding numbers, not present in Haldane's original model. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:53:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-30d79707485b41d38f71a5d5254511f2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1367-2630 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:53:24Z |
| publishDate | 2013-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | New Journal of Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-30d79707485b41d38f71a5d5254511f22023-08-08T11:03:30ZengIOP PublishingNew Journal of Physics1367-26302013-01-0115101302510.1088/1367-2630/15/1/013025Measuring topology in a laser-coupled honeycomb lattice: from Chern insulators to topological semi-metalsN Goldman0E Anisimovas1F Gerbier2P Öhberg3I B Spielman4G Juzeliūnas5Center for Nonlinear Phenomena and Complex Systems, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) , B-1050 Brussels, BelgiumDepartment of Theoretical Physics, Vilnius University , Saulėtekio 9, LT-10222 Vilnius, Lithuania; Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy, Vilnius University , A. Goštauto 12, LT-01108 Vilnius, LithuaniaLaboratoire Kastler Brossel, CNRS, ENS, UPMC, 24 rue Lhomond, F-75005 Paris, FranceSUPA, Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, Heriot-Watt University , EH14 4AS Edinburgh, UKJoint Quantum Institute, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and University of Maryland , Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USAInstitute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy, Vilnius University , A. Goštauto 12, LT-01108 Vilnius, LithuaniaUltracold fermions trapped in a honeycomb optical lattice constitute a versatile setup to experimentally realize the Haldane model (1988 Phys. Rev. Lett. 61 2015). In this system, a non-uniform synthetic magnetic flux can be engineered through laser-induced methods, explicitly breaking time-reversal symmetry. This potentially opens a bulk gap in the energy spectrum, which is associated with a non-trivial topological order, i.e. a non-zero Chern number. In this paper, we consider the possibility of producing and identifying such a robust Chern insulator in the laser-coupled honeycomb lattice. We explore a large parameter space spanned by experimentally controllable parameters and obtain a variety of phase diagrams, clearly identifying the accessible topologically non-trivial regimes. We discuss the signatures of Chern insulators in cold-atom systems, considering available detection methods. We also highlight the existence of topological semi-metals in this system, which are gapless phases characterized by non-zero winding numbers, not present in Haldane's original model.https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/15/1/013025 |
| spellingShingle | N Goldman E Anisimovas F Gerbier P Öhberg I B Spielman G Juzeliūnas Measuring topology in a laser-coupled honeycomb lattice: from Chern insulators to topological semi-metals New Journal of Physics |
| title | Measuring topology in a laser-coupled honeycomb lattice: from Chern insulators to topological semi-metals |
| title_full | Measuring topology in a laser-coupled honeycomb lattice: from Chern insulators to topological semi-metals |
| title_fullStr | Measuring topology in a laser-coupled honeycomb lattice: from Chern insulators to topological semi-metals |
| title_full_unstemmed | Measuring topology in a laser-coupled honeycomb lattice: from Chern insulators to topological semi-metals |
| title_short | Measuring topology in a laser-coupled honeycomb lattice: from Chern insulators to topological semi-metals |
| title_sort | measuring topology in a laser coupled honeycomb lattice from chern insulators to topological semi metals |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/15/1/013025 |
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