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Topological protection by local support symmetry and destructive interference
Jun-Won Rhim1, Jaeuk Seo2, Seongjun Mo3
1Department of Physics, Ajou University, Suwon, Korea. jwrhim@ajou.ac.kr.
Nature Communications
|February 13, 2026
Summary
Local support symmetries, preserved only in partial regions, can protect topological features in entire systems. This research introduces a framework for understanding how these symmetries, even with symmetry-breaking couplings, safeguard topological properties.
Area of Science:
- Condensed matter physics
- Topological materials science
Background:
- Topological phases and band crossings are conventionally protected by global symmetries.
- Global symmetries act on the entire system, limiting protection mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate topological protection by symmetries preserved only on a partial region (local support symmetries).
- To establish a unified framework for understanding local support symmetry protection in insulating and metallic phases.
Main Methods:
- Derivation of explicit conditions for topological protection under local support symmetries.
- Analysis of destructive interference of Bloch wave functions.
- Utilizing representative tight-binding models.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated band crossings and topological bands protected by local support crystalline and time-reversal symmetries.
- Identified destructive interference of Bloch wave functions as a key protective mechanism.
- Presented a realistic material realization in a fluorinated biphenylene network.
Conclusions:
- Local support symmetries can protect topological features of the full system, even with symmetry-breaking couplings.
- The framework applies to both insulating and metallic phases.
- A fluorinated biphenylene network exemplifies protection by local support C2 symmetry.
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