Hofstadter Butterflies in Topological Insulators

Abstract

In this chapter, we investigate the energy spectra as well as the bulk and surface states in a two-dimensional system composed of a coupled stack of one-dimensional dimerized chains in the presence of an external magnetic field. Specifically, we analyze the Hofstadter butterfly patterns that emerge in a 2D stack of coupled 1D Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) chains subject to an external transverse magnetic field. Depending on the parameter regime, we find that the energy spectra of this hybrid topological system can exhibit topologically non-trivial bulk bands separated by energy gaps. Upon introducing boundaries into the system, we observe topologically protected in-gap surface states, which are protected either by a non-trivial Chern number or by inversion symmetry. We examine the resilience of these surface states against perturbations, confirming their expected stability against local symmetry-preserving perturbations.