Dynamically Emerging Topological Phase Transitions in Nonlinear Interacting Soliton Lattices

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that nonlinear interactions in soliton lattices can induce dynamic topological phase transitions, characterized by gap closures and the emergence of localized edge states, revealing emergent nonlinear topological phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces a new mechanism for topological phase transitions driven solely by nonlinearity in interacting soliton lattices, expanding understanding of nonlinear topological physics.

Findings

Topological phase transitions occur via gap closing and re-opening.

Edge states emerge from bands at transition points.

Transitions are driven by nonlinear interactions in the lattice.

Abstract

We demonstrate dynamical topological phase transitions in evolving Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) lattices made of interacting soliton arrays, which are entirely driven by nonlinearity and thereby exemplify emergent nonlinear topological phenomena. The phase transitions occur from topologically trivial-to-nontrivial phase in periodic succession with crossovers from topologically nontrivial-to-trivial regime. The signature of phase transition is gap-closing and re-opening point, where two extended states are pulled from the bands into the gap to become localized topological edge states. Crossovers occur via decoupling of the edge states from the bulk of the lattice.