Chiral state transitions at topological degeneracies
Phys. Rev. Applied 24, 064022 – Published 5 December, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/r2wv-1sgl
Abstract
This paper is a contribution to the Physical Review Applied collection titled Phononics and Metamaterials.
The manipulation of transitions between states is of fundamental importance in physical systems. It is well known that a resonant transition occurs when the frequency of the external modulation matches the energy difference between the two relevant states. In this work, we show that a different scenario emerges when the resonance transition occurs between bands exhibiting topologically nontrivial band degeneracies. We present an effective model to illustrate the distinction between modulation paths that encircle band degeneracies and those that do not. To support the predictions of the model, we perform time-domain simulations in a circuit. In this system, chiral state transitions naturally emerge. Due to the similarity in wave-function behavior, the underlying physical mechanism can be extended to photonic and acoustic platforms.
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Collections
This article appears in the following collection:
Phononics and Metamaterials
Physical Review Applied is pleased to present a Collection on Phononics and Metamaterials, in which diverse developments in research on sound waves are gathered to offer a comprehensive view of both the state of the art and the challenges ahead. The Collection is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Sarah Benchabane (1980–2024), honoring her outstanding contributions to phononics and wave physics. Contributions to this Collection will be published beginning in 2025 and continuing into 2026. This Collection is being curated by Guest Editors Muamer Kadic, Daniel Torrent, and Abdelkrim Khelif.
