Topological classification with additional symmetries from Clifford algebras

TL;DR

This paper extends the classification of topological insulators and superconductors by incorporating additional symmetries like reflection, using Clifford algebras, and reveals how these symmetries alter the topological classification.

Contribution

It introduces a Clifford algebra framework to classify topological phases with extra symmetries, expanding the periodic table of topological insulators and superconductors.

Findings

Additional symmetries modify the symmetry class and shift the topological classification.

The approach aligns with recent reflection symmetry classifications.

Examples include topological crystalline insulators and mirror superconductors.

Abstract

We classify topological insulators and superconductors in the presence of additional symmetries such as reflection or mirror symmetries. For each member of the 10 Altland-Zirnbauer symmetry classes, we have a Clifford algebra defined by operators of the generic (time-reversal, particle-hole, or chiral) symmetries and additional symmetries, together with gamma matrices in Dirac Hamiltonians representing topological insulators and superconductors. Following Kitaev's approach, we classify gapped phases of non-interacting fermions under additional symmetries by examining all possible distinct Dirac mass terms which can be added to the set of generators of the Clifford algebra. We find that imposing additional symmetries in effect changes symmetry classes and causes shifts in the periodic table of topological insulators and superconductors. Our results are in agreement with the classification under reflection symmetry recently reported by Chiu et al. Several examples are discussed including a topological crystalline insulator with mirror Chern numbers and mirror superconductors.