Edge-state influence on high-order harmonic generation in topological nanoribbons

Abstract

Abstract: The high-order harmonic generation in finite topological nanoribbons is investigated using a tight-binding approximation. The narrow, two-dimensional ribbons consist of hexagonal structures. A topological phase transition is defined by a sudden change of the topological invariant. In the bulk, this kind of phase transition might occur if an existing band gap closes and reopens again. Through the bulk-boundary correspondence, this is related to the emergence of topologically protected edge states in the respective finite systems. For the finite ribbons studied in this work, the variation of the tight-binding parameters leads to the emergence of two edge states after the closing of the band gap. The energies of those edge states as functions of the tight-binding parameters display crossings and avoided crossings, which influence the high-harmonic spectra. Graphic Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]