Critical region of topological trivial and nontrivial phases in interacting Kitaev chain with spatially varying potentials

Abstract

By using the variational matrix product state method, we numerically study the interacting Kitaev chain with spatially varying periodic and quasi-periodic potentials and the latter follows the Fibonacci sequence. The edge correlation functions of Majorana fermions and low-lying ground states are computed to explore the robustness of topological superconducting phase. It is found that the original topological nontrivial phase is separated into to two branches by an emergent topological trivial phase, as a result of the competition among spatially varying potential, electronic Coulomb interaction and chemical potential. The analysis of energy gap and occupation number together suggests that the spontaneous symmetry breaking and the lift of degeneracy in the topological trivial phase are enabled by a potential-induced Fracton mechanism, namely the pairing of four Majorana fermions. It can be broken by further enhancing the interaction, and then the nontrivial phase reemerges. The evolution from the emergent fractal structure of population outside the critical region to the original structure of charge density wave is investigated as well.