Properties of some Hamiltonians describing topologically non-trivial fermionic systems

Abstract

We introduce a Hamiltonian for fermions on a lattice and prove a theorem regarding its topological properties. We identify the topological criterion as a Z2-topological invariant p(k) (the Pfaffian polynomial). The topological invariant is not only the first Chern number, but also the sign of the Pfaffian polynomial coming from a notion of duality. Such Hamiltonian can describe non-trivial Chern insulators, single band superconductors or multiorbital superconductors. The topological features of these families are completely determined as a consequence of our theorem. Some specific model examples are explicitly worked out, with the computation of different possible topological invariants.