Fermionic Symmetry-Protected Topological Phase in a Two-Dimensional Hubbard Model

Cheng-Chien Chen, Lukas Muechler, Roberto Car, Titus Neupert, and Joseph Maciejko
Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 096405 – Published 25 August 2016
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Abstract

We study the two-dimensional (2D) Hubbard model using exact diagonalization for spin-1/2 fermions on the triangular and honeycomb lattices decorated with a single hexagon per site. In certain parameter ranges, the Hubbard model maps to a quantum compass model on those lattices. On the triangular lattice, the compass model exhibits collinear stripe antiferromagnetism, implying d-density wave charge order in the original Hubbard model. On the honeycomb lattice, the compass model has a unique, quantum disordered ground state that transforms nontrivially under lattice reflection. The ground state of the Hubbard model on the decorated honeycomb lattice is thus a 2D fermionic symmetry-protected topological phase. This state—protected by time-reversal and reflection symmetries—cannot be connected adiabatically to a free-fermion topological phase.

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  • Received 4 April 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.096405

© 2016 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Cheng-Chien Chen1,2, Lukas Muechler3, Roberto Car3, Titus Neupert4, and Joseph Maciejko5,6,7

  • 1Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA
  • 2Department of Physics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, USA
  • 3Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
  • 4Princeton Center for Theoretical Science, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
  • 5Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E1, Canada
  • 6Theoretical Physics Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E1, Canada
  • 7Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1Z8, Canada

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Issue

Vol. 117, Iss. 9 — 26 August 2016

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