Symmetry-protected topological phases, generalized Laughlin's arguments, and orbifolds

Shinsei Ryu

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Physics, Urbana, USA

We consider non-chiral symmetry-protected topological phases of matter in two spatial dimensions protected by some discrete symmetries. We argue that modular invariance/non-invariance of the partition function of the one-dimensional edge theory can be used to diagnose if, by adding a suitable potential, the edge theory can be gapped or not without breaking the symmetry. By taking bosonic phases described by Chern-Simons K-matrix theories and fermionic phases relevant to topological superconductors as an example, we demonstrate explicitly that when the modular invariance is achieved, we can construct an interaction potential that is consistent with the symmetry and can completely gap out the edge state.

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