Brillouin Klein space and half-turn space in three-dimensional acoustic crystals

Abstract

The Bloch band theory and Brillouin zone (BZ) that characterize wave behaviors in periodic mediums are two cornerstones of contemporary physics ranging from condensed matter to topological physics. Recent theoretical breakthrough revealed that, under the projective symmetry algebra enforced by artificial gauge fields, the usual two-dimensional (2D) BZ (orientable Brillouin two-torus) can be fundamentally modified to a non-orientable Brillouin Klein bottle with radically distinct topology and novel topological phases. However, the physical consequence of artificial gauge fields on the more general three-dimensional (3D) BZ (orientable Brillouin three-torus) was so far missing. Here, we report the first theoretical discovery and experimental observation of non-orientable Brillouin Klein space and orientable Brillouin half-turn space in a 3D acoustic crystal with artificial gauge fields. We experimentally identify peculiar 3D momentum-space non-symmorphic screw rotation and glide reflection symmetries in the measured band structures. Moreover, we demonstrate a novel 3D Klein bottle insulator featuring a nonzero Z_2 topological invariant and self-collimated topological surface states at two opposite surfaces related by a nonlocal twist, radically distinct from all previous topological insulators. Our discovery not only fundamentally modifies the 3D Bloch band theory and 3D BZ, but also opens the door towards a wealth of previously overlooked momentum-space topologies and unexplored topological physics with gauge symmetry beyond the existing paradigms.