Topological connection between the stability of Fermi surfaces and topological insulators and superconductors

A topology-intrinsic connection between the stabilities of Fermi surfaces (FSs) and topological insulators/superconductors (TIs/TSCs) is revealed. First, through revealing the topological difference of the roles played by the time-reversal (or particle-hole) symmetry respectively on FSs and TIs/TSCs, a one-to-one relation between the topological types of FSs and TIs/TSCs is rigorously derived by two distinct methods with one relying on the direct evaluation of topological invariants and the other on K theory. Secondly, we propose and prove a general index theorem that relates the topological charge of FSs on the natural boundary of a TI/TSC to its bulk topological number. In the proof, FSs of all codimensions for all symmetry classes and topological types are systematically constructed by Dirac matrices. Moreover, implications of the general index theorem on the boundary quasiparticles are also addressed.

Figure 1

Symmetry identification. The left corresponds to a two-dimensional $\mathbf{k}$ space, and the right corresponds to an $S^2$ enclosing a Fermi point in a three-dimensional $\mathbf{k}$ space.