Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1208.2143 · Physical Review B

Symmetries, topological phases, and bound states in the one-dimensional quantum walk

János K. Asbóth

Published Nov 9, 2012• 207 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Discrete-time quantum walks have been shown to simulate all known topological phases in one and two dimensions. Being periodically driven quantum systems, their topological description, however, is more complex than that of closed Hamiltonian systems. We map out the topological phases of the particle-hole symmetric one-dimensional discrete-time quantum walk. We find that there is no chiral symmetry in this system: its topology arises from the particle-hole symmetry alone. We calculate the ${\mathbb{Z}}_{2}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$ topological invariant in a simple way that is consistent with a general definition for one-dimensional periodically driven quantum systems. These results allow for a transparent interpretation of the edge states on a finite lattice via the the bulk-boundary correspondence. We find that the bulk Floquet operator does not contain all the information needed for the topological invariant. As an illustration to this statement, we show that in the split-step quantum walk, the edges between two bulks with the same Floquet operator can host topologically protected edge states.

DOI
10.1103/physrevb.86.195414

Related papers

Bulk-boundary correspondence for chiral symmetric quantum walks

János K. Asbóth, Hideaki Obuse

Discrete-time quantum walks (DTQW) have topological phases that are richer than those of time-independent lattice Hamiltonians. Even the basic symmetries, on which the standard classification of topological insulators hinges, have not yet been properly defined for quantum walks. We introduce the key tool of time frames, i.e., we describe a DTQW by the ensemble of time-shifted unitary time-step operators belonging to the walk. This gives us a way to consistently define chiral symmetry (CS) for DTQW's. We show that CS can be ensured by using an ``inversion symmetric'' pulse sequence. For one-dimensional DTQW's with CS, we identify the bulk $\mathbb{Z}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathbb{Z}$ topological invariant that controls the number of topologically protected 0 and $\ensuremath{\pi}$ energy edge states at the interfaces between different domains, and give simple formulas for these invariants. We illustrate this bulk-boundary correspondence for DTQW's on the example of the ``4-step quantum walk,'' where tuning CS and particle-hole symmetry realizes edge states in various symmetry classes.

arXiv:1303.1199•Physical Review B•Sep 17, 2013•261 citations

Topological quantum walk with discrete time-glide symmetry

Ken Mochizuki, Takumi Bessho, Masatoshi Sato +1 more

Discrete quantum walks are periodically driven systems with discrete time evolution. In contrast to ordinary Floquet systems, no microscopic Hamiltonian exists, and the one-period time evolution is given directly by a series of unitary operators. Regarding each constituent unitary operator as a discrete time step, we formulate discrete space-time symmetry in quantum walks and evaluate the corresponding symmetry protected topological phases. In particular, we study chiral and/or time-glide symmetric topological quantum walks in this formalism. Due to the discrete nature of time evolution, the topological classification is found to be different from that in conventional Floquet systems. As a concrete example, we study a two-dimensional quantum walk having both chiral and time-glide symmetries and identify the anomalous edge states protected by these symmetries.

arXiv:2004.09332•Physical review. B./Physical review. B•Jul 13, 2020•16 citations

Topological invariants for Floquet-Bloch systems with chiral, time-reversal, or particle-hole symmetry

Bastian Höckendorf, Andreas Alvermann, Holger Fehske

We introduce ${\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$-valued bulk invariants for symmetry-protected topological phases in $2+1$-dimensional driven quantum systems. These invariants adapt the ${W}_{3}$ invariant, expressed as a sum over degeneracy points of the propagator, to the respective symmetry class of the Floquet-Bloch Hamiltonian. The bulk-boundary correspondence that holds for each invariant relates a nonzero value of the bulk invariant to the existence of symmetry-protected topological boundary states. To demonstrate this correspondence we apply our invariants to a chiral Harper, time-reversal Kane-Mele, and particle-hole symmetric graphene model with periodic driving, where they successfully predict the appearance of boundary states that exist despite the trivial topological character of the Floquet bands. Especially for particle-hole symmetry, the combination of the ${W}_{3}$ and the ${\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$ invariants allows us to distinguish between weak and strong topological phases.

arXiv:1708.07420•Physical review. B./Physical review. B•Jan 22, 2018•24 citations

Topological invariants in quantum walks

Andrzej Grudka, Marcin Karczewski, Paweł Kurzyński +2 more

Discrete-time quantum walks (DTQWs) provide a convenient platform for a realization of many topological phases in noninteracting systems. They often offer more possibilities than systems with a static Hamiltonian. Nevertheless, researchers are still looking for DTQW symmetries protecting topological phases and for definitions of appropriate topological invariants. Although the majority of DTQW studies on this topic focus on the so-called split-step quantum walk, two distinct topological phases can be observed in more basic models. Here we infer topological properties of the basic DTQWs directly from the mapping of the Brillouin zone to the Bloch Hamiltonian. We show that for translation-symmetric systems they can be characterized by a homotopy relative to special points. We also propose a topological invariant corresponding to this concept. This invariant indicates the number of edge states at the interface between two distinct phases.

arXiv:2209.12820•Physical Review A•Mar 1, 2023•7 citations

Bulk-edge correspondence of one-dimensional quantum walks

C Cedzich, F A Grünbaum, C Stahl +3 more

Abstract We outline a theory of symmetry protected topological phases of one-dimensional quantum walks. We assume spectral gaps around the symmetry-distinguished points +1 and −1, in which only discrete eigenvalues are allowed. The phase classification by integer or binary indices extends the classification known for translation invariant systems in terms of their band structure. However, our theory requires no translation invariance whatsoever, and the indices we define in this general setting are invariant under arbitrary symmetric local perturbations, even those that cannot be continuously contracted to the identity. More precisely we define two indices for every walk, characterizing the behavior far to the right and far to the left, respectively. Their sum is a lower bound on the number of eigenstates at +1 and −1. For a translation invariant system the indices add up to zero, so one of them already characterizes the phase. By joining two bulk phases with different indices we get a walk in which the right and left indices no longer cancel, so the theory predicts bound states at +1 or −1. This is a rigorous statement of bulk-edge correspondence. The results also apply to the Hamiltonian case with a single gap at zero.

arXiv:1502.02592•Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical•Apr 20, 2016•66 citations

Floquet Topological Phases Driven by $\mathcal{PT}$ Symmetric Nonunitary Time Evolution

Dakyeong Kim, Ken Mochizuki, Norio Kawakami +1 more

We study Floquet topological phases driven by $\mathcal{PT}$ symmetric nonunitary time evolution in one dimension, based on an experimental setup of discrete-time quantum walks. We develop, for nonunitary time-evolution operators, a procedure to calculate topological invariants for Floquet topological phases and find that the bulk-edge correspondence gives correct predictions of the emergent edge states. These edge states make exponential growth of wavefunction amplitudes at specific positions with time controllable. Hereby, we propose that these phenomena inherent in open quantum systems are feasibly observed by present experiments of quantum walks in both classical and quantum regimes.

•Sep 30, 2016•0 citations
Discrete-time quantum walks have been shown to simulate all known topological phases in one and two dimensions. Being periodically driven quantum systems, their topological description, however, is more complex than that of closed Hamiltonian systems. We map out the topological phases of the particle-hole symmetric one-dimensional discrete-time quantum walk. We find that there is no chiral symmetry in this system: its topology arises from the particle-hole symmetry alone. We calculate the Z2\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fiZ2{\mathbb{Z}}_{2}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{\mathbb{Z}}_{2}Z2​\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fiZ2​ topological invariant in a simple way that is consistent with a general definition for one-dimensional periodically driven quantum systems. These results allow for a transparent interpretation of the edge states on a finite lattice via the the bulk-boundary correspondence. We find that the bulk Floquet operator does not contain all the information needed for the topological invariant. As an illustration to this statement, we show that in the split-step quantum walk, the edges between two bulks with the same Floquet operator can host topologically protected edge states.
Discrete-time quantum walks (DTQW) have topological phases that are richer than those of time-independent lattice Hamiltonians. Even the basic symmetries, on which the standard classification of topological insulators hinges, have not yet been properly defined for quantum walks. We introduce the key tool of time frames, i.e., we describe a DTQW by the ensemble of time-shifted unitary time-step operators belonging to the walk. This gives us a way to consistently define chiral symmetry (CS) for DTQW's. We show that CS can be ensured by using an ``inversion symmetric'' pulse sequence. For one-dimensional DTQW's with CS, we identify the bulk $\mathbb{Z}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathbb{Z}$ topological invariant that controls the number of topologically protected 0 and $\ensuremath{\pi}$ energy edge states at the interfaces between different domains, and give simple formulas for these invariants. We illustrate this bulk-boundary correspondence for DTQW's on the example of the ``4-step quantum walk,'' where tuning CS and particle-hole symmetry realizes edge states in various symmetry classes.
Discrete quantum walks are periodically driven systems with discrete time evolution. In contrast to ordinary Floquet systems, no microscopic Hamiltonian exists, and the one-period time evolution is given directly by a series of unitary operators. Regarding each constituent unitary operator as a discrete time step, we formulate discrete space-time symmetry in quantum walks and evaluate the corresponding symmetry protected topological phases. In particular, we study chiral and/or time-glide symmetric topological quantum walks in this formalism. Due to the discrete nature of time evolution, the topological classification is found to be different from that in conventional Floquet systems. As a concrete example, we study a two-dimensional quantum walk having both chiral and time-glide symmetries and identify the anomalous edge states protected by these symmetries.
We introduce Z2{\mathbb{Z}}_{2}Z2​-valued bulk invariants for symmetry-protected topological phases in 2+12+12+1-dimensional driven quantum systems. These invariants adapt the W3{W}_{3}W3​ invariant, expressed as a sum over degeneracy points of the propagator, to the respective symmetry class of the Floquet-Bloch Hamiltonian. The bulk-boundary correspondence that holds for each invariant relates a nonzero value of the bulk invariant to the existence of symmetry-protected topological boundary states. To demonstrate this correspondence we apply our invariants to a chiral Harper, time-reversal Kane-Mele, and particle-hole symmetric graphene model with periodic driving, where they successfully predict the appearance of boundary states that exist despite the trivial topological character of the Floquet bands. Especially for particle-hole symmetry, the combination of the W3{W}_{3}W3​ and the Z2{\mathbb{Z}}_{2}Z2​ invariants allows us to distinguish between weak and strong topological phases.
Discrete-time quantum walks (DTQWs) provide a convenient platform for a realization of many topological phases in noninteracting systems. They often offer more possibilities than systems with a static Hamiltonian. Nevertheless, researchers are still looking for DTQW symmetries protecting topological phases and for definitions of appropriate topological invariants. Although the majority of DTQW studies on this topic focus on the so-called split-step quantum walk, two distinct topological phases can be observed in more basic models. Here we infer topological properties of the basic DTQWs directly from the mapping of the Brillouin zone to the Bloch Hamiltonian. We show that for translation-symmetric systems they can be characterized by a homotopy relative to special points. We also propose a topological invariant corresponding to this concept. This invariant indicates the number of edge states at the interface between two distinct phases.
Abstract We outline a theory of symmetry protected topological phases of one-dimensional quantum walks. We assume spectral gaps around the symmetry-distinguished points +1 and −1, in which only discrete eigenvalues are allowed. The phase classification by integer or binary indices extends the classification known for translation invariant systems in terms of their band structure. However, our theory requires no translation invariance whatsoever, and the indices we define in this general setting are invariant under arbitrary symmetric local perturbations, even those that cannot be continuously contracted to the identity. More precisely we define two indices for every walk, characterizing the behavior far to the right and far to the left, respectively. Their sum is a lower bound on the number of eigenstates at +1 and −1. For a translation invariant system the indices add up to zero, so one of them already characterizes the phase. By joining two bulk phases with different indices we get a walk in which the right and left indices no longer cancel, so the theory predicts bound states at +1 or −1. This is a rigorous statement of bulk-edge correspondence. The results also apply to the Hamiltonian case with a single gap at zero.
Floquet Topological Phases Driven by PT\mathcal{PT}PT Symmetric Nonunitary Time Evolution
We study Floquet topological phases driven by PT\mathcal{PT}PT symmetric nonunitary time evolution in one dimension, based on an experimental setup of discrete-time quantum walks. We develop, for nonunitary time-evolution operators, a procedure to calculate topological invariants for Floquet topological phases and find that the bulk-edge correspondence gives correct predictions of the emergent edge states. These edge states make exponential growth of wavefunction amplitudes at specific positions with time controllable. Hereby, we propose that these phenomena inherent in open quantum systems are feasibly observed by present experiments of quantum walks in both classical and quantum regimes.