Self-duality properties and localization centers of the electronic wave functions at high magic angles in twisted bilayer graphene

Twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) is known for exhibiting highly correlated phases at magic angles due to the emergence of flat bands that enhance electron-electron interactions. In the TBG chiral model, electronic wave function properties depend on a single parameter ($\alpha$), inversely proportional to the relative twist angle between the two graphene layers. In previous studies, as the twist angles approached small values, strong confinement, and convergence to coherent Landau states were observed. This work explores flat-band electronic modes, revealing that flat band states exhibit self-duality; they are coherent Landau states in reciprocal space and exhibit minimal dispersion, with standard deviation $\sigma_k=\sqrt{3\alpha/2\pi}$ as $\alpha$ approaches infinity. Subsequently, by symmetrizing the wave functions and considering the squared TBG Hamiltonian, the strong confinement observed in the $\alpha\rightarrow\infty$ limit is explained. This confinement arises from the combination of the symmetrized squared norm of the moir\'e potential and the quantized orbital motion of electrons, effectively creating a quantum well. The ground state of this well, located at defined spots, corresponds to Landau levels with energy determined by the magic angle. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the problem is physically analogous to an electron attached to a non-Abelian $SU(2)$ gauge field with an underlying $C_3$ symmetry. In regions of strong confinement, the system can be considered as Abelian. This allows to define a magnetic energy in which the important role of the wave function parity and gap closing at non-magic angles is revealed. Finally, we investigate the transition from the original non-Abelian nature to an Abelian state by artificially changing the pseudo-magnetic vector components from an $SU(2)$ to a $U(1)$ field, which alters the sequence of magic angles.Comment: 14 pages and 11 figure

Geometrical phases and entanglement in real space for 1D SSH topological insulator: effects of first and second neighbor-hoppings interaction

The hybrid atoms-cell site entanglement in a one-dimensional Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) topological insulator with first and second neighbor hopping interaction in space representation of finite chains is analyzed. The geometric phase is calculated by the Resta electric polarization and the entanglement in the atomic basis by the Schmidt number. A relation between entanglement and the topological phase transitions (TPT) is given since the Schmidt number has critical points of maximal entangled (ME) states in the singularities of the geometrical phase. States with second-neighbors have higher entanglement than first-order hopping. The general conditions to produce ME hybrid Bell states and the localization-entanglement relation are given.Comment: 6 pages and 4 figure

Reduction of the Twisted Bilayer Graphene Chiral Hamiltonian into a 2×22\times2 matrix operator and physical origin of flat-bands at magic angles

The chiral Hamiltonian for twisted graphene bilayers is written as a $2\times2$ matrix operator by a renormalization of the Hamiltonian that takes into account the particle-hole symmetry. This results in an effective Hamiltonian with an average field plus and effective non-Abelian gauge potential. The action of the proposed renormalization maps the zero-mode region into the ground state. Modes near zero energy have an antibonding nature in a triangular lattice. This leads to a phase-frustration effect associated with massive degeneration, and makes flat-bands modes similar to confined modes observed in other bipartite lattices. Suprisingly, the proposed Hamiltonian renormalization suggests that flat-bands at magic angles are akin to floppy-mode bands in flexible crystals or glasses, making an unexpected connection between rigidity topological theory and magic angle twisted two-dimensional heterostructures physics