Nonlinear Dirac Points and topological invariant in coupled hexagonal lattices

TL;DR

This paper investigates how nonlinearity influences topological phases in coupled hexagonal lattices, revealing a new type of Dirac cone with a modified, quantized Berry phase that serves as a nonlinear topological invariant.

Contribution

It introduces a novel nonlinear Dirac cone structure and a corresponding quantized Berry phase as a topological invariant in interacting lattice systems.

Findings

Discovery of a new nonlinear Dirac cone structure.

Quantization of the modified Berry phase as a topological invariant.

Shift of the topological phase transition line due to interactions.

Abstract

Topological phases and materials have attracted much attention in recent years. Though many progress has been made, the effect of nonlinearity on such system remains untouched. In this paper, by considering the mean-field approximation in a coupled boson-hexagonal lattice system, we obtain a different type of Dirac cone. Due to its special structure of the cone, the Berry phase (two-dimensional Zak phase) of this new Dirac cone is quantized differently, i.e., it has been modified due to the interactions and the critical line between different topological phases has moved, depending on the type of interactions. Furthermore, the new Berry phase is found to be quantized, offering a possible nonlinear topological invariant which can supply as a criterion of topological classification for that interacting system. The quantum phase transition in terms of this criterion in the system has also been examined.