Disorder-induced topological phase transition in a 1D mechanical system

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that disorder can induce topological phase transitions in a 1D mechanical system, leading to a mechanical Topological Anderson Insulator and offering a new way to control mechanical energy transfer.

Contribution

It reveals how disorder can drive topological transitions in a mechanical system and introduces the concept of a mechanical Topological Anderson Insulator.

Findings

Disorder can switch the system between topologically trivial and nontrivial phases.

A mechanical Topological Anderson Insulator can be realized through disorder.

Disorder and topology together can control mechanical energy transfer.

Abstract

We numerically investigate the topological phase transition induced purely by disorder in a spring-mass chain. We employ two types of disorders - chiral and random types - to explore the interplay between topology and disorder. By tracking the evolution of real space topological invariants, we obtain the topological phase diagrams and demonstrate the bilateral capacity of disorder to drive topological transitions, from topologically nontrivial to trivial and vice versa. The corresponding transition is accompanied by the realization of a mechanical Topological Anderson Insulator. The findings from this study hint that the combination of disorder and topology can serve as an efficient control knob to manipulate the transfer of mechanical energy.