Realization of a Hopf insulator in circuit systems

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) two-band Hopf insulators are a paradigmatic example of topological phases beyond the topological classifications based on powerful methods like $K$-theory and symmetry indicators.Since this class of topological insulating phases was theoretically proposed in 2008, they have attracted significant interest owing to their conceptual novelty, connection to knot theory, and many fascinating physical properties. However, because their realization requires special forms of long-range spin-orbit coupling (SOC), they have not been achieved in any 3D system yet. Here we report the first experimental realization of the long-sought-after Hopf insulator in a 3D circuit system. To implement the Hopf insulator, we construct basic pseudo-spin modules and connection modules that can realize $2\times 2$-matrix elements and then design the circuit network according to a tight-binding Hopf insulator Hamiltonian constructed by the Hopf map. By simulating the band structure of the designed circuit network and calculating the Hopf invariant, we find that the circuit realizes a Hopf insulator with Hopf invariant equaling $4$. Experimentally, we measure the band structure of a printed circuit board and find the observed properties of the bulk bands and topological surface states (TSS) are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions, verifying the bulk-boundary correspondence of the Hopf insulator. Our scheme brings the experimental study of Hopf insulators to reality and opens the door to the implementation of more unexplored topological phases beyond the known topological classifications.

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• Engineering topological states and quantum-inspired information processing using classical circuits
• Dipolar Weyl semimetals
• Berry-dipole Semimetals
• Topological Insulators with Hybrid-order Boundary States
• Berry curvature inside parity-time-symmetry protected exceptional surface
• Hierarchical Topological States in Thermal Diffusive Networks
• From quantum geometry to non-linear optics and gerbes: Recent advances in topological band theory
• Brillouin Platycosms and Topological Phases
• Flat Bands in Three-dimensional Lattice Models with Non-trivial Hopf Index
• Floquet-Engineering Weyl Points and Linked Fermi Arcs from Straight Nodal Lines
• PT-symmetric Non-Hermitian Hopf Metal
• Hopf Semimetals
• Boundary Flat Bands with Topological Spin Textures Protected by Sub-chiral Symmetry
• Non-Hermitian Hopf insulators
• Electric circuit analog of Landau-Zener tunneling using time-varying elements
• Emergence of Nodal-Knot Transitions by Disorder
• Metal-Insulator Coexistence and Gap-Crossing Domain-Wall Modes in an Aubry-André Model with Nonlocal Hopping
• From orthogonal link to phase vortex in generalized dynamical Hopf insulators
• Correlated Hopf insulators