Topological physics in quantum critical systems

Abstract

Topology forms a cornerstone in modern condensed matter and statistical physics, offering a new framework to classify the phases and phase transitions beyond the traditional Landau paradigm. However, it is widely believed that topological properties are destroyed when the bulk energy gap closes, making it highly nontrivial to consider topology in gapless quantum critical systems. To address these challenges, recent advancements have sought to generalize the notion of topology to systems without a bulk energy gap, including quantum critical points and critical phases, collectively referred to as gapless symmetry-protected topological states. Extending topology to gapless quantum critical systems challenges the traditional belief in condensed matter physics that topological edge states are typically tied to the presence of a bulk energy gap. Furthermore, it suggests that topology plays a crucial role in classifying quantum phase transitions even if they belong to the same universality class, fundamentally enriching the textbook understanding of phase transitions. Given its importance, here we give a pedagogical review of the current progress of topological physics in quantum critical systems. We introduce the topological properties of quantum critical points and generalize them to stable critical phases, both for noninteracting and interacting systems. Additionally, we discuss further generalizations and future directions, including higher dimensions, nonequilibrium phase transitions, and realizations in modern experiments.