Corner states of two-dimensional second-order topological insulators with a chiral symmetry and broken time reversal and charge conjugation

Abstract

Two-dimensional second-order topological insulators are characterized by the presence of topologically protected zero-energy bound states localized at the corners of a flake. In this paper we theoretically study the occurrence and features of such corner states inside flakes in the shape of a convex polygon. We consider two different models, both in Cartan class IIIA, the first obeying inversion symmetry and the other obeying a combined $\pi/4$ rotation symmetry and time-reversal symmetry ($\hat{C}_4^z\hat{T}$). By using an analytical effective model of an edge corresponding to a massive Dirac fermion, we determine the presence of a corner state between two given edges by studying the sign of their induced masses and derive general rules for flakes in the shape of a convex polygon. In particular, we find that the number of corner states in a flake is always two in the first model, while in the second model there are either 0, 2 or 4. To corroborate our findings, we focus on flakes of specific shapes (a triangle and a square) and use a numerical finite-difference approach to determine the features of the corner states in terms of their probability density. In the case of a triangular flake, we can change the position of corner states by rotating the flake in the first model, while in the second model we can also change their number. Remarkably, when the induced mass of an edge is zero the corresponding corner state becomes delocalized along the edge. In the case of a square flake and the model with $\hat{C}_4^z\hat{T}$ symmetry, there is an orientation of the flake with respect to the crystal axes, for which the corner states extend along the whole perimeter of the square.