Topological charge distributions of an interacting two-spin system

TL;DR

This paper investigates the topological charge distribution in an interacting two-spin system with degeneracy structures like nodal loops and surfaces, revealing their stability and experimental relevance.

Contribution

It introduces the analysis of non-point degeneracy geometries in two-spin systems and shows they can be stabilized by symmetries, extending topological concepts beyond point degeneracies.

Findings

Degeneracy points form nodal loops and surfaces in parameter space.

Non-point degeneracies can be stabilized by spatial symmetries.

Results are applicable to experimental systems like quantum dots and molecular magnets.

Abstract

Quantum systems are often described by parameter-dependent Hamiltonians. Points in parameter space where two levels are degenerate can carry a topological charge. Here we theoretically study an interacting two-spin system where the degeneracy points form a nodal loop or a nodal surface in the magnetic parameter space, similarly to such structures discovered in the band structure of topological semimetals. We determine the topological charge distribution along these degeneracy geometries. We show that these non-point-like degeneracy patterns can be obtained not only by fine-tuning, but they can be stabilized by spatial symmetries. Since simple spin systems such as the one studied here are ubiquitous in condensed-matter setups, we expect that our findings, and the physical consequences of these nontrivial degeneracy geometries, are testable in experiments with quantum dots, molecular magnets, and adatoms on metallic surfaces.