Pseudospins and Topological Effects of Phonons in a Kekulé Lattice

Abstract

The search for exotic topological effects of phonons has attracted enormous interest for both fundamental science and practical applications. By studying phonons in a Kekulé lattice, we find a new type of pseudospin characterized by quantized Berry phases and pseudoangular momenta, which introduces various novel topological effects, including topologically protected pseudospin-polarized interface states and a phonon pseudospin Hall effect. We further demonstrate a pseudospin-contrasting optical selection rule and a pseudospin Zeeman effect, giving a complete generation-manipulation-detection paradigm of the phonon pseudospin. The pseudospin and topology-related physics revealed for phonons is general and applicable for electrons, photons, and other particles.