From topological insulators to superconductors and Confinement

TL;DR

This paper explores the phase structure of 3D topological matter, revealing how parameters like BF coupling, permittivity, and permeability lead to different states such as insulators, superconductors, and confinement phases.

Contribution

It identifies a new marginal term in the effective action of 3D topological matter and maps out the phase diagram driven by defect condensation parameters.

Findings

Topological insulators occur at intermediate permittivity and permeability.

Predicted new topological superconductor phase at high permittivity and low permeability.

Identified charge confinement phase at low permittivity and high permeability.

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.