Chiral solitons in a coupled double Peierls chain

Abstract

Handedness at the edge of a line Topological insulators are characterized by conducting boundary states. For those existing as two-dimensional (2D) materials, the boundaries are lines, the edge currents are 1D, and their two spin components flow in opposite directions. To address whether this handedness also applies to the edge states of 1D topological systems, Cheon et al. deposited indium atoms on the surface of silicon, where the atoms formed wires consisting of double zigzag chains. The chains underwent distortions that caused topological edge states called solitons to appear under certain conditions. The solitons came in three flavors, two of which had a definite handedness. Science , this issue p. 182