Topology of nonsymmorphic crystalline insulators and superconductors

Abstract

Topological classification in our previous paper [K. Shiozaki and M. Sato, Phys. Rev. B 90, 165114 (2014)] is extended to nonsymmorphic crystalline insulators and superconductors. Using the twisted equivariant K theory, we complete the classification of topological crystalline insulators and superconductors in the presence of additional order-two nonsymmorphic space-group symmetries. The order-two nonsymmorphic space groups include half-lattice translation with Z2 flip, glide, twofold screw, and their magnetic space groups. We find that the topological periodic table shows modulo-2 periodicity in the number of flipped coordinates under the order-two nonsymmorphic space group. It is pointed out that the nonsymmorphic space groups allow Z2 topological phases even in the absence of time-reversal and/or particle-hole symmetries. Furthermore, the coexistence of the nonsymmorphic space group with time-reversal and/or particle-hole symmetries provides novel Z4 topological phases, which have not been realized in ordinary topological insulators and superconductors. We present model Hamiltonians of these new topological phases and analytic expressions of the Z2 and Z4 topological invariants. The half-lattice translation with Z2 spin flip and glide symmetry are compatible with the existence of boundaries, leading to topological surface gapless modes protected by the order-two nonsymmorphic symmetries. We also discuss unique features of these gapless surface modes.

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