Symmetry-protected topological phases, generalized Laughlin argument, and orientifolds
Journal
Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
Journal Volume
90
Journal Issue
16
Date Issued
2014
Author(s)
DOI
PRBMD
Abstract
We generalize Laughlin's flux insertion argument, originally discussed in the context of the quantum Hall effect, to topological phases protected by non-on-site unitary symmetries, in particular by parity symmetry or parity symmetry combined with an on-site unitary symmetry. As a model, we discuss fermionic or bosonic systems in two spatial dimensions with CP symmetry, which are, by the CPT theorem, related to time-reversal symmetric topological insulators (e.g., the quantum spin Hall effect). In particular, we develop the stability/instability (or "gappability"/"ingappablity") criteria for nonchiral conformal field theories with parity symmetry that may emerge as an edge state of a symmetry-protected topological phase. A necessary ingredient, as it turns out, is to consider the edge conformal field theories on unoriented surfaces, such as the Klein bottle, which arises naturally from enforcing parity symmetry by a projection operation. © 2014 American Physical Society.
Publisher
American Physical Society
Type
journal article