{"title":"Static vector solitons in a topological mechanical lattice","authors":"Yuan Zhou, Yafei Zhang, Jiaxin Long, Aoxi Wang, Chang Qing Chen","doi":"10.1038/s42005-024-01630-9","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Topological solitons, renowned for their stability and particle-like collision behaviors, have sparked interest in developing macroscopic-scale information processing devices. However, the exploration of interactions between multiple topological solitons in mechanical systems remains elusive. In this study, we construct a topological mechanical lattice supporting static vector solitons that represent quantized degrees of freedom and can freely propagate across the system. Drawing inspiration from coupled double atomic chains with sublattice symmetry breaking, we design a mechanical analogue featuring topologically protected boundary modes and induce independent modes to finite motions along branched motion pathways. Through a continuum theory, we describe the evolution of boundary modes with vector solitons composed of superposed kink solutions, identifying them as minimum energy pathways on the rugged effective potential surface with multiple degenerate ground states. Our results reveal the connection between transformable topological lattices and multistable systems, providing insight into nonlinear topological mechanics. Topological solitons can be realised in a range of platforms that have the potential for processing topologically protected information. Here, the authors identify a class of vector solitons in a mechanical lattice, showing superposed kinks and invertible polarizations, with implications for nonlinear topological mechanics.","PeriodicalId":10540,"journal":{"name":"Communications Physics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s42005-024-01630-9.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Communications Physics","FirstCategoryId":"101","ListUrlMain":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s42005-024-01630-9","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PHYSICS, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Topological solitons, renowned for their stability and particle-like collision behaviors, have sparked interest in developing macroscopic-scale information processing devices. However, the exploration of interactions between multiple topological solitons in mechanical systems remains elusive. In this study, we construct a topological mechanical lattice supporting static vector solitons that represent quantized degrees of freedom and can freely propagate across the system. Drawing inspiration from coupled double atomic chains with sublattice symmetry breaking, we design a mechanical analogue featuring topologically protected boundary modes and induce independent modes to finite motions along branched motion pathways. Through a continuum theory, we describe the evolution of boundary modes with vector solitons composed of superposed kink solutions, identifying them as minimum energy pathways on the rugged effective potential surface with multiple degenerate ground states. Our results reveal the connection between transformable topological lattices and multistable systems, providing insight into nonlinear topological mechanics. Topological solitons can be realised in a range of platforms that have the potential for processing topologically protected information. Here, the authors identify a class of vector solitons in a mechanical lattice, showing superposed kinks and invertible polarizations, with implications for nonlinear topological mechanics.
期刊介绍:
Communications Physics is an open access journal from Nature Research publishing high-quality research, reviews and commentary in all areas of the physical sciences. Research papers published by the journal represent significant advances bringing new insight to a specialized area of research in physics. We also aim to provide a community forum for issues of importance to all physicists, regardless of sub-discipline.
The scope of the journal covers all areas of experimental, applied, fundamental, and interdisciplinary physical sciences. Primary research published in Communications Physics includes novel experimental results, new techniques or computational methods that may influence the work of others in the sub-discipline. We also consider submissions from adjacent research fields where the central advance of the study is of interest to physicists, for example material sciences, physical chemistry and technologies.