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arXiv:2502.12233 · Physical Review Letters

Quantum Critical Dynamics Induced by Topological Zero Modes

Ilia Komissarov, Tobias Holder, Raquel Queiroz

Published Mar 6, 2026• 0 citations
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Abstract

We investigate low-frequency ac transport in the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) chain with chiral disorder near the topological delocalization transition. Our key finding is that the formation of hybridized pairs of topological domain wall zero modes leads to the anomalous logarithmic scaling of the ac conductivity σ(ω)∼logω at criticality, and σ(ω)∼ω^{2|δ|}log^{2}ω away from it. Using the combination of real-space renormalization group analysis and qualitative hybridization arguments, we demonstrate that the form of the scaling of ac conductivity at criticality stems directly from the stretched-exponential [ψ(x)∼e^{-ssqrt[x]}] spatial decay of zero-mode wave functions at the critical point.

DOI
10.1103/z8v9-f8j2

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We investigate low-frequency ac transport in the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) chain with chiral disorder near the topological delocalization transition. Our key finding is that the formation of hybridized pairs of topological domain wall zero modes leads to the anomalous logarithmic scaling of the ac conductivity σ(ω)∼logω at criticality, and σ(ω)∼ω^{2|δ|}log^{2}ω away from it. Using the combination of real-space renormalization group analysis and qualitative hybridization arguments, we demonstrate that the form of the scaling of ac conductivity at criticality stems directly from the stretched-exponential [ψ(x)∼e^{-ssqrt[x]}] spatial decay of zero-mode wave functions at the critical point.
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Protected zero modes are a hallmark of topological phases of matter and are exponentially localized at sharp interfaces between distinct gapped phases. We investigate how this picture changes for smooth interfaces in a broad class of inhomogeneous Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) models. Combining an exact lattice solution with an inhomogeneous Dirac description, we show that the associated Jackiw-Rebbi zero mode becomes spatially extended. For arbitrary smooth hopping profiles, its lattice extension universally scales as the square root of the system size, independently of the microscopic details of the interface. This emergent length defines a mesoscopic critical region separating two gapped phases, within which correlations decay algebraically before crossing over to exponential decay. In addition, the entanglement entropy scales as the logarithm of the emergent length near the interface, confirming the interpretation of a mesoscopic critical region. Our results establish a universal critical length governing the low-energy physics of smooth topological interfaces.
We use a curvature renormalization group (CRG) approach to study the topological phase transitions in a Su-Schrieffer-Heeger chain and its extensions coming from periodic hopping modulations. A curvature function is defined in terms of system parameters near high-symmetry points where the divergence of this function at critical points, in analogy to usual phase transitions, signals a topological phase transition. According to this theory, the phase transition line for the two-site Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model is visible at the critical line Δ= 0 where the curvature function diverges. Our study involves this model and also the modulated one with periodicity of four lattice spacing where the curvature function not only diverges at the topological phase transition point (Dirac-like) |Δ/t| = \sqrt(2) but also shows faster divergence at the non-topological gapless point Δ= 0. We further notice faster divergence of correlation length for Δ-> 0 as compared to that for the |Δ/t| -> \sqrt(2) resulting in two different sets of critical exponents making them lie in different universality classes. The edge state exhibits very slow decay into the bulk near the Δ= 0 point while a much quicker decay from edge into bulk is discernible around the |Δ/t| = \sqrt(2) point. We also continue similar analysis for a SSH model with hopping periodicity of eight lattice spacing.
A dimerized fermion chain, described by Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model, is a well-known example of a one-dimensional system with a nontrivial band topology. An interplay of disorder and topological ordering in the SSH model is of great interest owing to experimental advancements in synthesized quantum simulators. In this paper, we investigate a special sort of a disorder when intercell hopping amplitudes are random. Using a definition for Z2{\mathbb{Z}}_{2}Z2​-topological invariant $\ensuremath{\nu}\ensuremath{\in}{0;1}$ in terms of a non-Hermitian part of the total Hamiltonian, we calculate $\ensuremath{\langle}\ensuremath{\nu}\ensuremath{\rangle}$ averaged by random realizations. This allows to find: (i) an analytical form of the critical surface that separates phases of distinct topological orders and (ii) finite-size fluctuations of $\ensuremath{\nu}$ for arbitrary disorder strength. Numerical simulations of the edge modes formation and gap suppression at the transition are provided for the finite-size system. In the end, we discuss a band-touching condition derived within the averaged Green's function method for a thermodynamic limit.
Abstract Disorders and long-range hoppings can induce exotic phenomena in condensed matter and artificial systems. We study the topological and dynamical properties of the quasiperiodic Su–Schrier–Heeger model with long-range hoppings. It is found that the interplay of quasiperiodic disorder and long-range hopping can induce topological Anderson insulator phases with non-zero winding numbers ω = 1 , 2 , and the phase boundaries can be consistently revealed by the divergence of zero-energy mode localization length. We also investigate the nonequilibrium dynamics by ramping the long-range hopping along two different paths. The critical exponents extracted from the dynamical behavior agree with the Kibble–Zurek mechanic prediction for the path with W = 0.90 . In particular, the dynamical exponent of the path crossing the multicritical point is numerical obtained as 1 / 6 ∼ 0.167 , which agrees with the unconventional finding in the previously studied XY spin model. Besides, we discuss the anomalous and non-universal scaling of the defect density dynamics of topological edge states in this disordered system under open boundary condictions.
The long-range Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model, in which the second nearest-neighbor hopping is taken into account, exhibits a topological phase diagram that contains winding numbers w=0,1w=0,\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}1w=0,1, and 2. In the clean system, the change in winding number stems from the band-touching phenomenon. In the presence of disorder, the renormalization of energy band and Fermi level results in the nonzero density of states in the energy gap. These midgap states cause the crossover phenomenon and the divergence of localization length at a critical disorder strength Uc{U}_{c}Uc​ in the finite SSH system. In this study, we numerically computed the mean winding number and localization length for the disordered SSH system. We find that the disorder is able to drive phase transitions between different mean winding numbers: $w=0\ensuremath{\rightarrow}1$, $0\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2$, $1\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2$, and $2\ensuremath{\rightarrow}1$ in the weak disorder regime. By investigating the wave function distribution and the self-energy, the nonzero mean winding numbers correspond to the so-called topological Anderson insulating (TAI) phases. The finite size scaling for the mean winding number in the TAI phase is shown. For describing the phase transitions in the thermodynamic limit, we apply the criterion of band gap closure resulting from the broadening of energy band and Fermi level to determine the critical disorder strength. The critical disorder strength for self-consistent Born approximation (SCBA) UcSCBA{U}_{c}^{\mathrm{SCBA}}UcSCBA​ and that for first Born approximation (FBA) UcFBA{U}_{c}^{\mathrm{FBA}}UcFBA​ are numerically calculated. UcSCBA{U}_{c}^{\mathrm{SCBA}}UcSCBA​ is found to match with Uc{U}_{c}Uc​ qualitatively. Nonetheless, SCBA indicates the different roles of band shifts and Fermi level broadening near the topological phase transitions. Band shift/Fermi level broadening is more dominant for the transitions from low-to-high/high-to-low winding number. Interestingly, for the transition from bulk insulator to TAI, UcFBA{U}_{c}^{\mathrm{FBA}}UcFBA​ is quantitatively closer to Uc{U}_{c}Uc​ than UcSCBA{U}_{c}^{\mathrm{SCBA}}UcSCBA​ as long as the renormalized band gap is zero within FBA.