Combinatorics

Physics

Geometric phase

Topology (electrical circuits)

Invariant (physics)

Mathematics

Topological insulator

Berry connection and curvature

Curvature

Geometry

Phase (matter)

Quantum mechanics

npj Computational Materials

Two-dimensional (2D) Stiefel-Whitney insulator (SWI), which is characterized by the second Stiefel-Whitney class, is a new class of topological phases with zero Berry curvature. As a novel topological state, it has been well studied in theory but seldom realized in realistic materials. Here we propose that a large class of liganded Xenes, i.e., hydrogenated and halogenated 2D group-IV honeycomb lattices, are 2D SWIs. The nontrivial topology of liganded Xenes is identified by the bulk topological invariant and the existence of protected corner states. Moreover, the large and tunable band gap (up to 3.5 eV) of liganded Xenes will facilitate the experimental characterization of the 2D SWI phase. Our findings not only provide abundant realistic material candidates that are experimentally feasible, but also draw more fundamental research interest towards the topological physics associated with Stiefel-Whitney class in the absence of Berry curvature.

Two-dimensional Stiefel-Whitney insulators in liganded Xenes