| Conical singularities (wedge-disclinations) are naturally occurring lattice defects in carbon-based materials. We demonstrate that these topological defects induce robust bound states in the presence of a band structure with a non-trivial topological index. The behavior of the bound state is determined both by the topological charge of the disclination (Frank index) and the topological invariant of the band structure (Chern number, Z2 invariant). Measuring these defect states offers an interesting probe of graphene-based topological insulators which is complementary to measurements of the quantized edge currents. |
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