Tohru Koma

We study edge modes in topological semimetals which have an energy band structure of ordinary semimetals but can be characterized by a Chern number. More specifically, we focus on a Qi-Wu-Zhang-type square-lattice model and a Haldane-type honeycomb model, both of which exhibit antichiral edge modes whose wave packets propagate in the same direction at both parallel edges of the strip. To obtain these analytical solutions of the edge modes, we apply the transfer matrix method which was developed in the previous work [Phys. Rev. B \textbf{101}, 014442 (2020)]. As a result, we show that the bulk-edge correspondence is broken down for a certain range of the model parameters. More precisely, when increasing the strength of a hopping amplitude of the Qi-Wu-Zhang-type model, the edge modes abruptly disappear, although the non-trivial Chern number does not change. In the Haldane-type model, for varying the model parameters, the edge modes do not necessarily disappear, and the non-trivial Chern number does not change. However, the energy spectral flows of the edge modes from the valence band to the conduction band are abruptly broken at a certain set of the model parameters.

We study edge modes in topological semimetals, which have an energy band structure of ordinary semimetals but can be characterized by a Chern number. More specifically, we focus on a Qi-Wu-Zhang-type square-lattice model and a Haldane-type honeycomb model, both of which exhibit antichiral edge modes whose wave packets propagate in the same direction at both parallel edges of the strip. To obtain these analytical solutions of the edge modes, we apply the transfer matrix method, which was developed in the previous work [ Phys. Rev. B 101, 014442 (2020)]. As a result, we show that the bulk-edge correspondence is broken down for a certain range of the model parameters. More precisely, when increasing the strength of a hopping amplitude of the Qi-Wu-Zhang-type model, the edge modes abruptly disappear, although the nontrivial Chern number does not change. In the Haldane-type model, for varying the model parameters, the edge modes do not necessarily disappear, and the nontrivial Chern number does not change. However, the energy spectral flows of the edge modes from the valence band to the conduction band are abruptly broken at a certain set of the model parameters.

It is widely believed that the spectral gap above the Fermi sea ground state of lattice free fermions is stable against generic weak interactions. Quite recently, Hastings presented a new interesting idea to prove the stability for Majorana free fermions. He ingeniously used Majorana fermions so that the unperturbed Hamiltonian of the free fermion part is mapped into a frustration-free form. In this paper, we refine Hastings's argument, and give a complete proof of the stability of the spectral gap above the Fermi sea ground state against generic weak interactions for generic lattice free fermions.

We study quantum antiferromagnetic Heisenberg models on a hypercubic lattice. We prove the following three theorems without any assumption: (i) The spontaneous magnetization which is obtained by applying the infinitesimally weak symmetry breaking field is equal to the maximum spontaneous magnetization at zero or non-zero low temperatures. (ii) When the spontaneous magnetization is non-vanishing at zero temperature, there appears a gapless excitation, Nambu-Goldstone mode, above an infinite-volume pure ground state. (iii) When the spontaneous magnetization is non-vanishing at zero or non-zero low temperatures, the transverse correlation in the infinite-volume limit exhibits a Nambu-Goldstone-type slow decay.

Detecting chiral edge modes in topological materials has been intensively pursued in experiments. However, the phenomena caused by the modes are not yet elucidated theoretically. We study the dynamics of chiral spinon wave packets at the edge in Kitaev-type magnets. More precisely, by relying on the exact solvability of the models, we construct a spinon wave packet, localized edge magnetization, which shows oriented propagation along the edge, whose behavior is expected from the chiral character of the dispersion relation of the chiral edge modes. In general, this approach enables us to study not only spin transport in anisotropic magnets but also charge transport in Bogoliubov-de Gennes-type superconductors because it does not rely on a conserved quantity.

Detecting chiral edge modes in topological materials has been intensively pursued in experiments. However, the phenomena caused by the modes are not yet elucidated theoretically. We study the dynamics of chiral spinon wave packets at the edge in Kitaev-type magnets. More precisely, by relying on the exact solvability of the models, we construct a spinon wave packet, localized edge magnetization, which shows oriented propagation along the edge, whose behavior is expected from the chiral character of the dispersion relation of the chiral edge modes. In general, this approach enables us to study not only spin transport in anisotropic magnets but also charge transport in Bogoliubov–de Gennes-type superconductors because it does not rely on a conserved quantity.

We address the question whether time translation symmetry can be spontaneously broken in a quantum many-body system. One way of detecting such a symmetry breaking is to examine the time-dependence of a correlation function. If the large-distance behavior of the correlation function exhibits a nontrivial time-dependence in the thermodynamic limit, the system would develop a temporal long-range order, realizing a time crystal. In an earlier publication, we sketched a proof for the absence of such time dependence in the thermal equilibrium described by the Gibbs state [H. Watanabe and M. Oshikawa, Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 251603 (2015)]. Here we present a complete proof and extend the argument to a more general class of stationary states than the Gibbs states.

We address the question whether time translation symmetry can be spontaneously broken in a quantum many-body system. One way of detecting such a symmetry breaking is to examine the time-dependence of a correlation function. If the large-distance behavior of the correlation function exhibits a nontrivial time-dependence in the thermodynamic limit, the system would develop a temporal long-range order, realizing a time crystal. In an earlier publication, we sketched a proof for the absence of such time dependence in the thermal equilibrium described by the Gibbs state (Watanabe and Oshikawa in Phys Rev Lett 114:251603, 2015). Here we present a complete proof and extend the argument to a more general class of stationary states than the Gibbs states.

We propose an approach to detect the peculiarity of Majorana fermions at the edges of Kitaev magnets. As is well known, a pair of Majorana edge modes is realized when a single complex fermion splits into real and imaginary parts which are, respectively, localized at the left and right edges of a sample magnet. Reflecting both of this peculiarity of the Majorana fermions and the ground-state degeneracy caused by the existence of the Majorana edge zero modes, the spins at the edges of the sample magnet are expected to behave as a peculiar "free" spin which exhibits a unidirectional magnetization without any transverse magnetization when applied a sufficiently weak external magnetic field. For the Kitaev honeycomb model, we obtain the expression of the Majorana edge magnetization by relying on standard techniques to diagonalize a free fermion Hamiltonian. The magnetization profile thus obtained indeed shows the expected behavior. We also elucidate the relation between the Majorana edge flat band and the bulk winding number from a weak topological point of view.

We propose an approach to detect the peculiarity of Majorana fermions at the edges of Kitaev magnets. As is well known, a pair of Majorana edge modes is realized when a single complex fermion splits into real and imaginary parts which are, respectively, localized at the left and right edges of a sample magnet. Reflecting both of this peculiarity of the Majorana fermions and the ground-state degeneracy caused by the existence of the Majorana edge zero modes, the spins at the edges of the sample magnet are expected to behave as a peculiar “free” spin which exhibits a unidirectional magnetization without any transverse magnetization when applied a sufficiently weak external magnetic field. For the Kitaev honeycomb model, we obtain the expression of the Majorana edge magnetization by relying on standard techniques to diagonalize a free fermion Hamiltonian. The magnetization profile thus obtained indeed shows the expected behavior. We also elucidate the relation between the Majorana edge flat band and the bulk winding number from a weak topological point of view.