Weak topological phases in the presence of interactions
arXiv:2410.10031
The paper classifies weak symmetry‑protected topological phases in dimensions 0–3 under short‑range interactions, using homotopy‑theoretic methods to identify which phases remain stable and which become intrinsically interacting.
Abstract
We study weak symmetry-protected topological phases (SPTs) in the presence of short-range interactions. By comparing homotopical free and interacting classifications of these SPTs, we predict their stability under interactions as well as identify potential intrinsically-interacting phases. We mathematically compute the groups of weak phases in dimensions zero through three for all tenfold-way symmetry types using homotopy theory; specifically, we use Atiyah's Real $\mathit{KR}$-theory and the low-energy invertible field theory ansatz of Freed--Hopkins for the free and interacting cases, resp. Our computational techniques involve T-duality, which relates $K$-theory of the spatial torus with $K$-theory of the Brillouin torus, and a binomial formula for computing generalized cohomology of a torus. Our results carry potential implications for theoretical and experimental studies of weak phases.
44 pages. Comments welcome!