Oblique confinement states are superinsulators, not topological insulators

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that oblique confinement states in the Cardy-Rabinovici model are superinsulators with infinite resistance due to string excitations, contrasting with topological insulators which have finite bulk gaps.

Contribution

It clarifies that oblique confinement states are superinsulators, challenging the previous classification of these states as topological insulators.

Findings

Oblique confinement states exhibit infinite resistance below critical conditions.

Bulk excitations are strings preventing charge separation.

Contrasts with the activated behavior of topological insulators.

Abstract

We show that the oblique confinement states in the Cardy-Rabinovici model are superinsulators, not topological insulators. This is because their only bulk excitations are strings that completely prevent the separation of charge-anticharge pairs, causing a strictly infinite resistance (below a critical temperature and/or voltage). This is very different from the typical activated behaviour of topological insulators, caused by a finite bulk energy gap.