Model Realization and Numerical Studies of a Three-Dimensional Bosonic Topological Insulator and Symmetry-Enriched Topological Phases

We study a topological phase of interacting bosons in (3+1) dimensions that is protected by charge conservation and time-reversal symmetry. We present an explicit lattice model that realizes this phase and that can be studied in sign-free Monte Carlo simulations. The idea behind our model is to bind...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Scott D. Geraedts, Olexei I. Motrunich
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Physical Society 2014-12-01
Series:Physical Review X
Online Access:http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.4.041049
Description
Summary:We study a topological phase of interacting bosons in (3+1) dimensions that is protected by charge conservation and time-reversal symmetry. We present an explicit lattice model that realizes this phase and that can be studied in sign-free Monte Carlo simulations. The idea behind our model is to bind bosons to topological defects called hedgehogs. We determine the phase diagram of the model and identify a phase where such bound states are proliferated. In this phase, we observe a Witten effect in the bulk whereby an external monopole binds half of the elementary boson charge, which confirms that it is a bosonic topological insulator. We also study the boundary between the topological insulator and a trivial insulator. We find a surface phase diagram that includes exotic superfluids, a topologically ordered phase, and a phase with a Hall effect quantized to one-half of the value possible in a purely two-dimensional system. We also present models that realize symmetry-enriched topologically ordered phases by binding multiple hedgehogs to each boson; these phases show charge fractionalization and intrinsic topological order as well as a fractional Witten effect.
ISSN:2160-3308