Topological properties and edge states in a driven modified dimerized chain

TL;DR

This paper explores how a high-frequency driven electric field can induce and control topological phases and edge states in a dimer chain model, with implications for ultra-cold atom experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a Floquet-Bloch approach to analyze driven topological systems and demonstrates control over topological invariants via field amplitude.

Findings

Topological phases can be tuned by electric field amplitude.

Breaking inversion symmetry affects zero edge state degeneracy.

Fractional Zak phase is measurable in optical lattice experiments.

Abstract

We investigate topological phases induced by a driven electric field coupled to a dimer chain (a model for poly-acetylene) at high frequency regime. It is shown how the topological invariant of the system can be controlled by the field amplitude. Furthermore, in the presence of a time-periodic electric field, the effect of the next-nearest neighbor hopping amplitudes on topological properties is studied. Breaking of the inversion symmetry causes to remove the degeneracy of zero edge states. The fractional Zak phase which is now measurable by ultra-cold atoms in one dimensional optical lattice is also calculated. For calculating modified band structure, we also develop a general Floquet-Bloch approach for systems under application of a potential with lattice and time translation invariance.