Edge states in square lattice media and their deformations

Abstract

Edge states are time-harmonic solutions of conservative wave systems which are plane wave-like parallel to and localized transverse to an interface between two bulk media. We study a class of 2D edge Hamiltonians modeling a medium which slowly interpolates between periodic bulk media via a domain wall across a "rational" line defect. We consider the cases of (1) periodic bulk media having the symmetries of a square lattice, and (2) linear deformations of such media. Our bulk Hamiltonians break time-reversal symmetry due to perturbation by a magnetic term, which opens a band gap about the band structure degeneracies of the unperturbed bulk Hamiltonian. In case (1), these are quadratic band degeneracies; in case (2), they are pairs of conical degeneracies. We demonstrate that this band gap is traversed by two distinct edge state curves, consistent with the bulk-edge correspondence principle of topological physics. Blow-ups of these curves near the bulk band degeneracies are described by effective (homogenized) edge Hamiltonians derived via multiple-scale analysis which control the bifurcation of edge states. In case (1), the bifurcation is governed by a matrix Schr\"{o}dinger operator; in case (2), it is governed by a pair of Dirac operators. We present analytical results and numerical simulations for both the full 2D edge Hamiltonian spectral problem and the spectra of effective edge Hamiltonians.