Screened topological plasmons in graphene plasmonic crystals
Phys. Rev. B 113, 205422 – Published 19 May, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/1y59-qr4q
Abstract
We study topological effects in a one-dimensional plasmonic crystal formed by the screened plasmons emerging in a periodically modulated graphene sheet, placed on top of a metallic substrate. We develop the theory of quantization of screened plasmons, as appropriate for lossless graphene described by a Drude conductivity. By analyzing the resulting band structure, we show that the crystal sustains nontrivial topological bands, with quantized geometric phase. We further show that in a finite open system, edge states appear within the band gap, which undergo a topological phase transition and merge with bulk states as the modulation increases. Our work provides a robust theoretical framework for the study of band structure and topology of layered media and extends the possibilities for engineering two-dimensional materials with external modulation.
