Topological Insulators at Strong Disorder

Abstract:

Topological insulators display two remarkable properties. Firstly, they are genuine thermodynamic phases, i.e. they are separated by sharp phase boundaries where Anderson’s localization length diverges. Secondly, when two distinct topological phases are interfaced, wave propagation is enabled along the interface, which cannot be suppressed by disorder. In the first part of the talk, I will exemplify these phenomena with exactly solvable models, of which one with disorder, as well as with numerical simulations. In the second part of the talk, I will show how index theorems generated with Alain Connes’ quantized calculus explain both remarkable properties mentioned above.

mathematical physics

Audience: researchers in the topic

Comments: PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN TIME (!)
PLEASE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT CHANGE INTO DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME IN EUROPE (!)

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Noncommutative Geometry and Physics

Series comments: Noncommutative geometry is a very general mathematical paradigm arising from quantum mechanics. As such, it permeates different branches of mathematics and physics.

The series of monthly talks accompanies the special issue of Journal of Physics A and is intended to present the many facets of the emergence of noncommutativity in physics.

Past seminars can be viewed on YouTube channel.

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