Dynamical classification of topological quantum phases

TL;DR

This paper introduces a universal dynamical framework for classifying and detecting topological quantum phases using quench dynamics, simplifying the topological characterization through bulk-surface duality and dynamical invariants.

Contribution

It establishes a dynamical classification theory for topological phases, reducing complex $d$-dimensional problems to ($d-1$)D invariants on band inversion surfaces and proposing high-precision detection schemes.

Findings

Classifying $d$D topological phases reduces to ($d-1$)D invariants on BISs.

Quench dynamics reveal unique topological patterns on BISs.

Proposed experimental strategies for high-fidelity detection of topological phases.

Abstract

Topological phase of matter is now a mainstream of research in condensed matter physics, of which the classification, synthesis, and detection of topological states have brought excitements over the recent decade while remain incomplete with ongoing challenges in both theory and experiment. Here we propose to establish a universal dynamical characterization of the topological quantum phases classified by integers, and further propose the high-precision dynamical schemes to detect such states. The framework of {the dynamical classification theory} consists of basic theorems. First, we uncover that classifying a $d$-dimensional ($d$D) gapped topological phase {of generic multibands} can reduce to a ($d-1$)D invariant defined on so-called band inversion surfaces (BISs), rendering a {\it bulk-surface duality} which simplifies the topological characterization. Further, we show in quenching across phase boundary the (pseudo)spin dynamics to exhibit unique topological patterns on BISs, which are attributed to the post-quench bulk topology and manifest a {\it dynamical bulk-surface correspondence}. For this the topological phase is classified by a dynamical topological invariant measured from dynamical spin-texture field on the BISs. Applications to quenching experiments on feasible models are proposed and studied, demonstrating the new experimental strategies to detect topological phases with high feasibility. This work opens a broad new direction to classify and detect topological phases by quantum dynamics.