# Topological Order in Densely Packed Anisotropic Colloids

## TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the existence of topological phases in classical dense packings of anisotropic colloids, expanding the understanding of topological order beyond quantum systems and suggesting new material applications.

## Contribution

It reveals topological phases in classical colloidal systems and shows their stability away from dense packing, broadening the scope of topological matter research.

## Key findings

- Topological phases exist in classical dense colloidal packings.
- These phases are stable beyond the dense packing limit.
- Potential for creating robust plasmonic materials.

## Abstract

The existence of topological order is frequently associated with strongly coupled quantum matter. Here, we demonstrate the existence of topological phases in classical systems of densely packed, hard, anisotropic polyhedrally shaped colloidal particles. We show that previously reported transitions in dense packings lead to the existence of topologically ordered thermodynamic phases, which we show are stable away from the dense packing limit. Our work expands the library of known topological phases, whose experimental realization could provide new means for constructing plasmonic materials that are robust in the presence of fluctuations.