Scattering theory of higher order topological phases

The surface states of intrinsic higher order topological phases are protected by the spatial symmetries of a finite sample. This property makes the existing scattering theory of topological invariants inapplicable: the scattering geometry is either incompatible with the symmetry or does not probe the bulk topology. We resolve this obstacle by using a symmetric scattering geometry that probes transport from the inside to the outside of the sample. We demonstrate that the intrinsic higher order topology is captured by the flux dependence of the reflection matrix. Our finding follows from identifying the spectral flow of a flux line as a signature of higher order topology. We show how this scattering approach applies to several examples of higher order topological insulators and superconductors. Our theory provides an alternative approach for proving bulk-edge correspondence in intrinsic higher order topological phases, especially in the presence of disorder.