arXiv:1712.05377 · Physical review. B./Physical review. B
Z3 topological order in the face-centered-cubic quantum plaquette model
Trithep Devakul
Abstract
We examine the topological order in the resonating singlet valence plaquette (RSVP) phase of the hard-core quantum plaquette model (QPM) on the face centered cubic (FCC) lattice. To do this, we construct a Rohksar-Kivelson type Hamiltonian of local plaquette resonances. This model is shown to exhibit a ${\mathbb{Z}}_{3}$ topological order, which we show by identifying a ${\mathbb{Z}}_{3}$ topological constant (which leads to a ${3}^{3}$-fold topological ground state degeneracy on the 3-torus) and topological pointlike charge and looplike magnetic excitations which obey ${\mathbb{Z}}_{3}$ statistics. We also consider an exactly solvable generalization of this model, which makes the geometrical origin of the ${\mathbb{Z}}_{3}$ order explicitly clear. For other models and lattices, such generalizations produce a wide variety of topological phases, some of which are novel fracton phases.