Topological invariants and corner states for Hamiltonians on a three-dimensional lattice

Abstract

Periodic Hamiltonians on a three-dimensional (3-D) lattice with a spectral gap not only on the bulk but also on two edges at the common Fermi level are considered. By using K-theory applied for the quarter-plane Toeplitz extension, two topological invariants are defined. One is defined for the gapped bulk and edge Hamiltonians, and the non-triviality of the other means that the corner Hamiltonian is gapless. A correspondence between these two invariants is proved. Such gapped Hamiltonians can be constructed from Hamiltonians of 2-D type A and 1-D type AIII topological insulators, and its corner topological invariant is the product of topological invariants of these two phases.