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arXiv:2603.07701

Fractional Topological Phases, Flat Bands, and Robust Edge States on Finite Cyclic Graphs via Single-Coin Split-Step Quantum Walks

Dinesh Kumar Panda, Aditi Rath, Colin Benjamin

cond-mat.str-elhep-thphysics.app-phquant-phstat.COSubmitted Mar 8, 2026• Announced Mar 10, 2026• 0 citations• Revised Aug 31, 2026 (v2)
v1 · Mar 8, 2026v2 · Aug 31, 2026v3 · Sep 1, 2026
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Abstract

We report the first realization of a fractional topological phase in a fully unitary, noninteracting discrete-time quantum walk implemented on finite cyclic graphs. Using a single-coin split-step cyclic quantum walk (SCSS-CQW), we uncover topological phenomena that are inaccessible within conventional cyclic quantum-walk dynamics. The protocol enables controlled engineering of quasienergy spectra, flat bands, and topological phase transitions through the step-dependency parameter and coin-rotation angle. We show that cyclic graphs with even and odd numbers of sites exhibit qualitatively different band structures, while rotational flat bands arise exclusively in $4n$-site cycles; a general analytic condition for their emergence is derived. The SCSS-CQW produces fractional winding numbers $\pm \frac{1}{2}$ (Zak phases $\pm \fracπ{2}$), in sharp contrast with the integer invariants in standard cyclic quantum walks. These fractional invariants lead to an unconventional bulk-boundary correspondence and support protected {zero energy} edge states beyond the usual integer topological classification. In the step-dependent protocol, transitions between distinct fractional winding sectors generate robust edge modes {pinned at zero quasienergy}. Numerical simulations show that these states remain stable in the presence of both dynamic and static coin disorder as well as phase-preserving perturbations, while survival-probability analysis demonstrates their long-time persistence. Requiring only a constant number of detectors independent of the evolution time and fewer operators, the proposed scheme offers a minimal-resource and experimentally accessible platform for realizing fractional topology, flat bands, and protected {zero energy} edge states in small-scale synthetic quantum systems.

Comments
30 pages, 27 figures, 3 tables

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We report the first realization of a fractional topological phase in a fully unitary, noninteracting discrete-time quantum walk implemented on finite cyclic graphs. Using a single-coin split-step cyclic quantum walk (SCSS-CQW), we uncover topological phenomena that are inaccessible within conventional cyclic quantum-walk dynamics. The protocol enables controlled engineering of quasienergy spectra, flat bands, and topological phase transitions through the step-dependency parameter and coin-rotation angle. We show that cyclic graphs with even and odd numbers of sites exhibit qualitatively different band structures, while rotational flat bands arise exclusively in 4n4n4n-site cycles; a general analytic condition for their emergence is derived. The SCSS-CQW produces fractional winding numbers ±12\pm \frac{1}{2}±21​ (Zak phases ±π2\pm \fracπ{2}±2π​), in sharp contrast with the integer invariants in standard cyclic quantum walks. These fractional invariants lead to an unconventional bulk-boundary correspondence and support protected {zero energy} edge states beyond the usual integer topological classification. In the step-dependent protocol, transitions between distinct fractional winding sectors generate robust edge modes {pinned at zero quasienergy}. Numerical simulations show that these states remain stable in the presence of both dynamic and static coin disorder as well as phase-preserving perturbations, while survival-probability analysis demonstrates their long-time persistence. Requiring only a constant number of detectors independent of the evolution time and fewer operators, the proposed scheme offers a minimal-resource and experimentally accessible platform for realizing fractional topology, flat bands, and protected {zero energy} edge states in small-scale synthetic quantum systems.
Topological phases, edge states, and flat bands in synthetic quantum systems are a key resource for topological quantum computing and noise-resilient information processing. We introduce a scheme based on step-dependent quantum walks on cyclic graphs, termed cyclic quantum walks (CQWs), to simulate exotic topological phenomena using discrete Fourier transforms and an effective Hamiltonian. Our approach enables the generation of both gapped and gapless topological phases, including Dirac cone-like energy dispersions, topologically nontrivial flat bands, and protected edge states, all without resorting to resource-intensive split-step or split-coin quantum walk protocols. Odd and even-site cyclic graphs exhibit markedly different spectral characteristics, with rotationally symmetric flat bands emerging exclusively in 4n4n4n-site graphs (n∈Nn\in \mathbf{N}n∈N). We analytically establish the conditions for the emergence of topological, gapped flat bands and show that gap closings in rotation space imply the formation of Dirac cones in momentum space. Further, we engineer protected edge states at the interface between distinct topological phases in both odd and even cycle graphs. We numerically demonstrate that the edge states are robust against moderate static and dynamic gate disorder as well as remain stable against phase-preserving perturbations and are independent of initial states. This scheme serves as a resource-efficient and versatile platform to engineer topological phases, transitions, edge states, and flat bands in small-scale quantum systems, opening new avenues for robust quantum memory, protected state transfer, and compact implementations of fault-tolerant quantum technologies.
Topological insulators host protected boundary states that are robust to disorder, making them attractive for applications and motivating their realization in engineered systems. Discrete-time quantum walks, which have been implemented in a variety of experimental platforms, can exhibit topologically nontrivial phases and their associated boundary states. Here, we introduce a class of topological quantum walks with variable step lengths that offer theoretical insights into the topological classification of such walks. For example, these walks can access higher winding numbers and support multiple edge states. They also provide context for the reduction of topological protection from a Z\mathbb{Z}Z- to Z2\mathbb{Z}_2Z2​-valued invariant when time-reversal symmetry is broken. The topologically protected edge states are investigated using a transfer-matrix approach that describes their spatial profiles and spin structures. These predictions are in excellent agreement with numerical results and, where applicable, with the Jackiw--Rebbi zero-mode solution of the Dirac equation. Taken together, our analysis provides a roadmap for designing quantum walks with control over the number, spatial profile, and spin structure of their topological edge states.
We study the topological properties of one-dimensional discrete-time quantum walks with Fibonacci quasiperiodic modulation. Spectral analysis under open boundary conditions reveals isolated edge modes that coexist at both zero and πππ energies within bulk gaps. Using the mean chiral displacement (MCD) as a dynamical bulk probe, we obtain a fractal, butterfly-like phase diagram, indicating a nontrivial bulk topology. However, since the MCD involves wave-packet averaging, its direct correspondence with boundary-localized states remains ambiguous. To resolve this issue, we determine the integer topological invariant by employing the Schur function formalism, a scattering-based approach defined on the unit disk. This analysis identifies a topological phase with winding number W=2W=2W=2 inside the ``wings'' of the butterfly diagram, demonstrating that the coexistence of zero- and πππ-energy edge modes is an intrinsic bulk property. Moreover, we find that the topological index crucially depends on the phason degree of freedom: the winding number can take values of W=0W=0W=0, 222, and even 444 depending on the local surface termination. This behavior originates from the surface impedance, which yields an effective winding number ranges from complete masking by reflective boundaries (W=0W=0W=0) to enhancement through surface resonances (W=4W=4W=4). Finally, we show that although individual surface terminations lead to anisotropic phase diagrams, their ensemble average restores the overall geometric structure observed in the MCD phase diagram. Our results establish a complete bulk-edge correspondence in quasiperiodic quantum walks and provide a guiding principle for surface topological engineering, where edge transport can be controlled purely through boundary manipulation.
One-dimensional discrete-time quantum walks show a rich spectrum of topological phases that have so far been exclusively analyzed using the Floquet operator in momentum space. In this work, we introduce an alternative approach to topology which is based on the scattering matrix of a quantum walk, adapting concepts from time-independent systems. For quantum walks with gaps in the quasienergy spectrum at 0 and $\ensuremath{\pi}$, we find three different types of topological invariants, which apply dependent on the symmetries of the system. These determine the number of protected boundary states at an interface between two quantum-walk regions. Quantum walks with an unequal number of leftward and rightward shifts per cycle are characterized by the number of perfectly transmitting unidirectional modes they support, which is equal to their nontrivial quasienergy winding. Our classification provides a unified framework that includes all known types of topology in one-dimensional discrete-time quantum walks and is very well suited for the analysis of finite-size and disorder effects. We provide a simple scheme to directly measure the topological invariants in an optical quantum-walk experiment.
We show that a three-state discrete-time quantum walk (DTQW) on a square lattice, with an SU(3) coin, realizes stroboscopic Floquet phases that host dispersive topological bound states in the continuum (TBICs). Time-independent step operations act as the periodic drive and map the one-step unitary to an effective Floquet Hamiltonian. Chern-number calculations resolve three quasienergy bands and their phase boundaries as the rotation angles are varied, and bulk-boundary correspondence in semi-infinite and fully finite geometries accounts for the edge spectra. At interfaces between media with the same bandwise Chern numbers but different coin parameters, nonchiral edge modes become embedded yet localized TBICs with tunable group velocity and selective excitation, while numerics indicate robustness to moderate coin disorder. Together with feasible routes in trapped-ion, cold-atom, and photonic platforms and an explicit decoherence model, these results identify DTQWs as a controllable setting for protected quantum-state transport and storage, relevant to quantum information and communication technologies.
Topological transitions are relevant for boundary conditions. Therefore, we investigate the bulk spectra, edge states, and topological phases of Szegedy's quantum search on a one-dimensional (1D) cycle with self-loops, where the search operator can be formulated as an open boundary condition. By establishing an equivalence with coined quantum walks (QWs), we analytically derive and numerically illustrate the quasienergies dispersion relations of bulk spectra and edge states for Szegedy's quantum search. Interestingly, novel gapless three-band structures are observed, featuring a flat band and three-fold degenerate points. We identify the topological phases ±2 as the Chern number. This invariant is computed by leveraging chiral symmetry in zero diagonal Hermitian Hamiltonians that satisfy our quasienergies constraints. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the edge states enhance searches on the marked vertices, while the nontrivial bulk spectra facilitate ballistic spread for Szegedy's quantum search. Crucially, we find that gapless topological phases arise from three-fold degenerate points and are protected by chiral symmetry, distinguishing ill-defined topological transition boundaries.