Quantized dynamical pumping via dissipation in a mechanical Thouless pump

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Nonlinear Dynamics
• Topological Physics

Background:

• Thouless pumps model the quantum Hall effect using adiabatic particle pumping.
• Nonlinearity in photonics has shown quantized light displacement via soliton motion.
• Mechanical systems offer a new platform to explore topological phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and observe quantized nonadiabatic Thouless pumping in a mechanical system.
• To investigate the role of nonlinearity and dissipation in topological pumping.
• To explore quantized transport against the pumping direction and its robustness.

Main Methods:

• Utilized coupled pendulums described by the Frenkel-Kontorova model.
• Employed topological kink solitons for particle transport.
• Introduced dissipation and an additional potential gradient.
• Experimentally demonstrated robustness through a tunable nonlinear defect.

Main Results:

• Observed quantized nonadiabatic Thouless pumping using topological kink solitons.
• Demonstrated quantized transport against the pumping direction in dissipative systems.
• Revealed a rich plateau structure unique to dissipative quantization, not described by the Chern number.
• Showcased the robustness of the pumping process through a nonlinear defect.

Conclusions:

• Nonadiabatic Thouless pumping is achievable in mechanical systems with nonlinearity and dissipation.
• Dissipative topological quantization offers phenomena beyond standard topological invariants.
• The system exhibits robustness, paving the way for potential applications.