From topological insulators to superconductors and confinement

DOI10.1088/1367-2630/14/6/063013zbMATH Open1448.82057arXiv1104.2485OpenAlexW2952456354MaRDI QIDQ5137657FDOQ5137657

Authors: M. Cristina Diamantini, Pasquale Sodano, Carlo A. Trugenberger 

Publication date: 2 December 2020

Published in: New Journal of Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Topological matter in 3D is characterized by the presence of a topological BF term in its long-distance effective action. We show that, in 3D, there is another marginal term that must be added to the action in order to fully determine the physical content of the model. The quantum phase structure is governed by three parameters that drive the condensation of topological defects: the BF coupling, the electric permittivity and the magnetic permeability of the material. For intermediate levels of electric permittivity and magnetic permeability the material is a topological insulator. We predict, however, new states of matter when these parameters cross critical values: a topological superconductor when electric permittivity is increased and magnetic permeability is lowered and a charge confinement phase in the opposite case of low electric permittivity and high magnetic permeability. Synthetic topological matter may be fabricated as 3D arrays of Josephson junctions.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1104.2485

Recommendations

• Topological phases of quantum matter
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Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Strong interaction, including quantum chromodynamics (81V05) Statistical mechanics of superconductors (82D55)

Cites Work

• Quantum field theory and the Jones polynomial
• Topological mass generation in \(3+1\) dimensions
• Phases of antisymmetric tensor field theories
• Confining strings
• A class of \(P,T\)-invariant topological phases of interacting electrons
• Canonical BF-type topological field theory and fractional statistics of strings.
• Topological \(BF\) field theory description of topological insulators
• Superconductors with topological order
• Superconducting topological fluids in Josephson junction arrays
• Self-duality and oblique confinement in planar gauge theories

Cited In (7)

• 4D topological mass by gauging spin
• Topological \(BF\) field theory description of topological insulators
• Superconductors are topologically ordered
• Quark-gluon plasma and topological quantum field theory
• Higgsless superconductivity from topological defects in compact BF terms
• Title not available (Why is that?)
• What is a particle-conserving topological superfluid? The fate of Majorana modes beyond mean-field theory

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