Topological quantization of energy transport in micro- and nano-mechanical lattices

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how topological edge modes in classical micro- and nano-mechanical lattices influence energy transport, leading to quantized thermal conductance reductions that are robust against disorder and nonlinearity.

Contribution

It reveals the topological nature of energy transport in classical mechanical lattices and shows quantized conductance effects due to edge modes, bridging topology and thermal transport.

Findings

Thermal conductance factorizes into topological and non-topological parts.

Edge modes cause a length-independent reduction in conductance.

Topological effects are robust against disorder and nonlinearity.

Abstract

Topological effects typically discussed in the context of quantum physics are emerging as one of the central paradigms of physics. Here, we demonstrate the role of topology in energy transport through dimerized micro- and nano-mechanical lattices in the classical regime, i.e., essentially "masses and springs". We show that the thermal conductance factorizes into topological and non-topological components. The former takes on three discrete values and arises due to the appearance of edge modes that prevent good contact between the heat reservoirs and the bulk, giving a length-independent reduction of the conductance. In essence, energy input at the boundary mostly stays there, an effect robust against disorder and nonlinearity. These results bridge two seemingly disconnected disciplines of physics, namely topology and thermal transport, and suggest ways to engineer thermal contacts, opening a direction to explore the ramifications of topological properties on nanoscale technology.