Topological order and Berry connection for the Maxwell Vacuum on a four-torus

Abstract

We study novel type of contributions to the partition function of the Maxwell system defined on a small compact manifold such as torus. These new terms can not be described in terms of the physical propagating photons with two transverse polarizations. Rather, these novel contributions emerge as a result of tunnelling events when transitions occur between topologically different but physically identical vacuum winding states. These new terms give an extra contribution to the Casimir pressure. The infrared physics in the system can be described in terms of the topological auxiliary non-propagating fields $a_i(\mathbf{k})$ governed by Chern-Simons -like action. The system can be studied in terms of these auxiliary fields precisely in the same way as a topological insulator can be analyzed in terms of Berry's connection ${\cal{A}}_i(\mathbf{k})$. We also argue that the Maxwell vacuum defined on a small 4-torus behaves very much in the same way as a topological insulator with $\theta\neq 0$.