Second Euler number in four dimensional synthetic matter

DIPC Seminars

Speaker
Giandomenico Palumbo, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Ireland
When
2023/02/01
13:00
Place
Hybrid Seminar, Donostia International Physics Center
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Second Euler number in four dimensional synthetic matter Two-dimensional Euler insulators are novel kind of systems that host multi-gap topological phases, quantified by a quantised first Euler number in their bulk. This topological invariant is protected by the spacetime inversion symmetry. Recently, these phases have been experimentally realised in suitable two- dimensional synthetic matter setups. In this talk, I introduce the second Euler invariant, a familiar invariant in both differential topology (Chern- Gauss-Bonnet theorem) and in four-dimensional Euclidean gravity, whose existence has not been explored in condensed matter systems. Specifically, I firstly define two specific novel models in four dimensions that support a non-zero second Euler number in the bulk together with peculiar gapless boundary states. Secondly, I discuss its robustness in general spacetime- inversion invariant phases and its role in the classification of topological degenerate real bands through real Grassmannians. Finally, I show how to engineer these new topological phases in a fourdimensional ultracold atom setup. These results naturally generalize the second Chern and spin Chern numbers to the case of four-dimensional phases that are characterised by real Hamiltonians and open doors for implementing such unexplored higher- dimensional phases in artificial engineered systems, ranging from ultracold atoms to photonics and electric circuits. Host: Dario Bercioux Zoom: YouTube: