Constructing vortex functions and basis states of Chern insulators: ideal condition, inequality from index theorem, and coherent-like states on von Neumann lattice

TL;DR

The paper tackles constructing a lattice analogue of the Landau-level structure in Chern insulators by optimizing a lattice vortex function that mimics the ideal Chern-insulator geometry. It introduces a vortexability indicator, derives an efficient eigenproblem to obtain optimal vortex parameters, and connects the outcome to the quantum metric and Chern number, thereby framing an ideal condition when the metric and Berry curvature balance. It then builds two practical basis sets within a Chern band: radially localized states from a momentum-space Dirac operator and Landau-level–like coherent-like states on a von Neumann lattice, with the latter being non-orthogonal but facilitating Brillouin-zone comparisons. The results rest on the Atiyah-Singer index theorem to guarantee zero modes and establish an inequality governing wavepacket extent set by topology, offering tools for many-body FCIs. These constructions provide concrete, analytically grounded assets for modeling interactions in Chern bands and can be extended toward fractional-topological phases and $\mathbb{Z}_2$ insulators.

Abstract

In the field of fractional Chern insulators, a great deal of effort has been devoted to characterizing Chern bands that exhibit properties similar to the Landau levels. Among them, the concept of the vortex function, which generalizes the complex coordinate used for the symmetric-gauge Landau-level basis, allows for a concise description. In this paper, we develop a theory of constructing the vortex function and basis states of Chern insulators in the tight-binding formalism. In the first half, we consider the optimization process of the vortex function, which minimizes an indicator that measures the difference from the ideal Chern insulators. In particular, we focus on the sublattice position dependence of the vortex function or the quantum geometric tensor. This degree of freedom serves as a discrete analog of the non-uniformity in the spatial metric and magnetic field in a continuous model. In the second half, we construct two types of basis sets for a given vortex function: radially localized basis set and coherent-like basis set. The former basis set is defined as the eigenstates of an analogy of the angular momentum operator. Remarkably, one can always find exact zero mode(s) for this operator, which is explained by the celebrated Atiyah-Singer index theorem. As a byproduct, we propose an inequality rooted in the band topology. We also discuss the subtle differences between our formalism and the previous works about the momentum-space Landau level. The latter basis set generalizes the concept of coherent states on von Neumann lattice. While this basis set is not orthogonal, it is useful to compare the LLL and the given Chern insulator directly in the Brillouin zone. These basis sets are expected to be useful for many-body calculations of fractional Chern insulators.

Figures (4)

• Figure 1: Optimal sublattice positions in (a)QWZ model Qi-Wu-Zhang-06, (b) checkerboard lattice model Neupert-Santos-Chamon-Mudry-11, (c) square lattice model Sun-Gu-Katsura-DasSarma-11, and (d) ruby lattice model Hu-Kargarian-Fiete-11Wu-Bernevig-Regnault-12. Red points and blue lines represent the optimal sublattice points and unit cell boundaries, respectively.
• Figure 2: Landau-level-like basis states in checkerboard-lattice model Neupert-Santos-Chamon-Mudry-11. (a) Berry curvature distribution for optimized $\tilde{\bm{r}}_a$. (b) The ten smallest eigenvalues of $PZPZ^*P$.
• Figure 3: Real-space weight functions of $\ket{\phi_n}$ and $\ket{\tilde{\phi}_n}$.
• Figure 4: $\alpha(\bm{k})$ and $\alpha^{\rm CI}(\bm{k})$ for checkerboard-lattice model Neupert-Santos-Chamon-Mudry-11.