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arXiv · 1911.07834

Topological Field Theory far from Equilibrium

Federico Tonielli·Jan Carl Budich·Alexander Altland·Sebastian Diehl
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Abstract

The observable properties of topological quantum matter are often described by topological field theories. We here demonstrate that this principle extends beyond thermal equilibrium. To this end, we construct a model of two-dimensional driven open dynamics with a Chern insulator steady state. Within a Keldysh field theory approach, we show that under mild assumptions - particle number conservation and purity of the stationary state - an abelian Chern-Simons theory describes its response to external perturbations. As a corollary, we predict chiral edge modes stabilized by a dissipative bulk.

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Federico Tonielli, Jan Carl Budich, Alexander Altland, Sebastian Diehl. 2019-11-18. Topological Field Theory far from Equilibrium. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.124.240404

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