Topological non-Abelian gauge structures in Cayley-Schreier lattices
Crystalline constructions known as Cayley-Schreier lattices have been suggested as a platform for realizing arbitrary gauge fields in synthetic crystals with real hopping amplitudes. Here, we reveal that Cayley-Schreier lattices can naturally give rise to implementable lattice systems that incorporate non-Abelian gauge structures transforming into a space-group symmetry. We show that their symmetry sectors can be interpreted as blocks of pseudospin models-some of which correspond to true spinors-that can realize a wealth of different topological invariants in a single setup. We underpin these general results with concrete models and illustrate how they can be implemented in technologically available experimental platforms. Our work sets the stage for a systematic investigation of topological insulators and metals with non-Abelian gauge structures.
Authors
- Lavi K. Upreti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1722-484X)
- Zoltán Guba (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6130-1064)
- Tomáš Bzdušek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6904-5264)
- Robert-Jan Slager (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9055-5218)
Institutions
- University of Zurich (CH)
- University of Manchester (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2026-04-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-71401-3
- Primary Topic
- Topological Materials and Phenomena
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council