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Mathematics Colloquium


Justin Cole
University of Colorado

Title: Topological Insulators in Electromagnetic Systems
Date: Monday, April 10, 2023
Place and Time: LOV 101, 3:05-3:55 pm

Abstract.

This talk will introduce the field of topological insulators in electromagnetic systems. Seminal results will be reviewed. Key concepts such as gauge invariant topological invariants (Chern number), topological protection, and the bulk-edge correspondence will be highlighted in a prototypical discrete system known as the Haldane model. Two different realizations of Chern insulators in electromagnetic systems will be examined. Tight-binding approximations yield tractable dynamical systems that capture the essential behavior. From here, spectral reductions can yield effective PDE models such as the Dirac equation. If time allows, nonlinear effects such as solitons will be discussed.