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Non-Hermitian topological Anderson insulators

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Abstract

Non-Hermitian systems can exhibit exotic topological and localization properties. Here we elucidate the non-Hermitian effects on disordered topological systems using a nonreciprocal disordered Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model. We show that the non-Hermiticity can enhance the topological phase against disorders by increasing bulk gaps. Moreover, we uncover a topological phase which emerges under both moderate non-Hermiticity and disorders, and is characterized by localized insulating bulk states with a disorder-averaged winding number and zero-energy edge modes. Such topological phases induced by the combination of non-Hermiticity and disorders are dubbed non-Hermitian topological Anderson insulators. We reveal that the system has unique non-monotonous localization behavior and the topological transition is accompanied by an Anderson transition. These properties are general in other non-Hermitian models.

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  1. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Engineering and Quantum Materials, GPETR Center for Quantum Precision Measurement and SPTE, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China

    Dan-Wei Zhang, Ling-Zhi Tang, Li-Jun Lang, Hui Yan & Shi-Liang Zhu

  2. National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, School of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    Shi-Liang Zhu

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  1. Dan-Wei Zhang
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Correspondence to Dan-Wei Zhang or Shi-Liang Zhu.

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This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFA0301800), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11704367, 11904109, and 91636218), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. U1830111, and U1801661), the Key-Area Research and Development Program of GuangDong Province (Grant No. 2019B030330001), and the Key Program of Science and Technology of Guangzhou (Grant No. 201804020055).

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Zhang, DW., Tang, LZ., Lang, LJ. et al. Non-Hermitian topological Anderson insulators. Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. 63, 267062 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-020-1521-9

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