0000000000305528
AUTHOR
Grigory Volovik
Topological polarization, dual invariants, and surface flat band in crystalline insulators
We describe a three-dimensional crystalline topological insulator (TI) phase of matter that exhibits spontaneous polarization. This polarization results from the presence of (approximately) flat bands on the surface of such TIs. These flat bands are a consequence of the bulk-boundary correspondence of polarized topological media, and contrary to related nodal line semimetal phases also containing surface flat bands, they span the entire surface Brillouin zone. We also present an example Hamiltonian exhibiting a Lifshitz transition from the nodal line phase to the TI phase with polarization. Utilizing elasticity tetrads, we show a complete classification of 3D crystalline TI phases and invar…
On the superconductivity of graphite interfaces
We propose an explanation for the appearance of superconductivity at the interfaces of graphite with Bernal stacking order. A network of line defects with flat bands appears at the interfaces between two slightly twisted graphite structures. Due to the flat band the probability to find high temperature superconductivity at these quasi one-dimensional corridors is strongly enhanced. When the network of superconducting lines is dense it becomes effectively two-dimensional. The model provides an explanation for several reports on the observation of superconductivity up to room temperature in different oriented graphite samples, graphite powders as well as graphite-composite samples published i…
Nexus and Dirac lines in topological materials
We consider the $Z_2$ topology of the Dirac lines, i.e., lines of band contacts, on an example of graphite. Four lines --- three with topological charge $N_1=1$ each and one with $N_1=-1$ --- merge together near the H-point and annihilate due to summation law $1+1+1-1=0$. The merging point is similar to the real-space nexus, an analog of the Dirac monopole at which the $Z_2$ strings terminate.