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Irrational charge from topological order.

R Moessner1, S L Sondhi

  • 1Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme, 01187 Dresden, Germany.

Physical Review Letters
|January 15, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Topological phases of matter can be engineered to give quasiparticles continuously variable, irrational intrinsic charges. However, their gauge charges remain quantized, offering new avenues for quantum materials research.

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Area of Science:

  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Quantum Materials
  • Topological Phases

Background:

  • Topological phases of matter feature emergent gauge fields and quasiparticles with gauge charges.
  • In electronic systems, quasiparticles possess intrinsic U(1) charges, typically quantized (e.g., Coulombic charge).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate a general method for tuning the intrinsic charge of quasiparticles in topological phases.
  • To explore the implications of topological order for quasiparticle charge properties.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing topological order to construct periodic Hamiltonians.
  • Analyzing the resulting quasiparticle properties in various topological models.

Main Results:

  • Successfully endowed quasiparticles with continuously variable, often irrational, intrinsic charges.
  • Demonstrated this phenomenon in diverse systems including lattice models, 3D resonating valence bond liquids, water, and spin ice.
  • Confirmed that gauge charges of quasiparticles remain quantized.

Conclusions:

  • Topological order provides a powerful tool to engineer novel quasiparticle properties, specifically their intrinsic charge.
  • This work opens possibilities for designing quantum materials with tunable charge characteristics for advanced applications.