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12 units

Topology in Condensed Matter: Tying Quantum Knots

The complete attributed TU Delft TOPOCMx open course, imported natively into QuantumSpark: from toy-model topology and the Kitaev chain through Majoranas, quantum Hall effects, Chern insulators, symmetry classification, disorder, Floquet phases and topological order. Original lectures, derivations, videos, questions, Python notebook cells and source figures retained. Expanded with original in-page technical chapters, mathematical proofs, independently checked calculation baselines and directly embedded credited original instructor videos where relevant.

12 units67 hoursADVANCED

Published syllabus

Course Units

Unit 1
513 min7 references

Background, topology and toy models

Original TU Delft TOPOCMx lectures: Brief review of band structures; About this course; Hamiltonians, topology, and symmetry; Bulk-edge correspondence in the Kitaev chain; Topics for self-study

Author credits, license, study sequence and original notebook environment
Brief review of band structures
About this course
Hamiltonians, topology, and symmetry
Bulk-edge correspondence in the Kitaev chain
Topics for self-study
4 objectives
Unit 2
421 min7 references

Majorana nanowires, experimental signatures and braiding

Original TU Delft TOPOCMx lectures: Why Majoranas are cool: braiding and quantum computation; From Kitaev chain to a nanowire; Majorana signatures: 4π-periodic Josephson effect, Andreev conductance quantization; Topics for self-study

Author credits, license, study sequence and original notebook environment
Why Majoranas are cool: braiding and quantum computation
From Kitaev chain to a nanowire
Majorana signatures: 4π-periodic Josephson effect, Andreev conductance quantization
Topics for self-study
4 objectives
Unit 3
439 min7 references

Charge pumping and the quantum Hall effect

Original TU Delft TOPOCMx lectures: Quantum Hall effect: pumping electrons in Landau levels; Thouless pumps and winding invariant; Quantum Hall effect: edge states; Topics for self-study

Author credits, license, study sequence and original notebook environment
Quantum Hall effect: pumping electrons in Landau levels
Thouless pumps and winding invariant
Quantum Hall effect: edge states
Topics for self-study
4 objectives
Unit 4
303 min6 references

Chern insulators and the Haldane model

Original TU Delft TOPOCMx lectures: Haldane model, Berry curvature, and Chern number; Quantum Hall Effect on the lattice and Dirac Hamiltonian; Topics for self-study

Author credits, license, study sequence and original notebook environment
Haldane model, Berry curvature, and Chern number
Quantum Hall Effect on the lattice and Dirac Hamiltonian
Topics for self-study
4 objectives
Unit 5
360 min5 references

The quantum spin Hall effect

Original TU Delft TOPOCMx lectures: Time-reversal symmetry and fermion parity pumps; Experimental progress and candidate materials; Topics for self-study

Author credits, license, study sequence and original notebook environment
Time-reversal symmetry and fermion parity pumps
Experimental progress and candidate materials
Topics for self-study
4 objectives
Unit 6
280 min6 references

Three-dimensional topological insulators

Original TU Delft TOPOCMx lectures: Experimental progress and candidate materials; Dirac equation of the surface states, 3D Bernevig-Hughes-Zhang model; Topics for self-study

Author credits, license, study sequence and original notebook environment
Experimental progress and candidate materials
Dirac equation of the surface states, 3D Bernevig-Hughes-Zhang model
Topics for self-study
4 objectives
Unit 7
347 min7 references

Topological defects and Majorana bound states

Original TU Delft TOPOCMx lectures: Crystalline defects in weak topological insulators; Majoranas in topological insulators and superconductors; Topics for self-study

Author credits, license, study sequence and original notebook environment
Crystalline defects in weak topological insulators
Majoranas in topological insulators and superconductors
Topics for self-study
Beyond ideal toy models: finite systems, disorder and topology
4 objectives
Unit 8
363 min7 references

The periodic table and classification of topological phases

Original TU Delft TOPOCMx lectures: 10 symmetry classes and the periodic table of topological insulators; Different approaches to topological invariants; Topics for self-study

Author credits, license, study sequence and original notebook environment
10 symmetry classes and the periodic table of topological insulators
Different approaches to topological invariants
Topics for self-study
Beyond ideal toy models: finite systems, disorder and topology
4 objectives
Unit 9
289 min5 references

Anderson localization, disorder and topology

Original TU Delft TOPOCMx lectures: Disorder and the scaling theory of localization; Flow diagram of topological insulators; Topics for self-study

Author credits, license, study sequence and original notebook environment
Disorder and the scaling theory of localization
Flow diagram of topological insulators
Topics for self-study
Beyond ideal toy models: finite systems, disorder and topology
4 objectives
Unit 10
338 min5 references

Topological semimetals and mechanics

Original TU Delft TOPOCMx lectures: Topology in gapless systems; Topological mechanics; Topics for self-study

Author credits, license, study sequence and original notebook environment
Topology in gapless systems
Topological mechanics
Topics for self-study
Beyond ideal toy models: finite systems, disorder and topology
4 objectives
Unit 11
252 min5 references

Floquet and crystalline topological extensions

Original TU Delft TOPOCMx lectures: Crystalline topological insulators; Floquet topological insulators; Topics for self-study

Author credits, license, study sequence and original notebook environment
Crystalline topological insulators
Floquet topological insulators
Topics for self-study
Beyond ideal toy models: finite systems, disorder and topology
4 objectives
Unit 12
331 min8 references

Fractional quantum Hall, topological order and appendices

Original TU Delft TOPOCMx lectures: Fractional quantum Hall effect and topological particles; Topological order and the toric code; Tight-binding models in a magnetic field: Peierls substitution; Additional notes on computing Chern number; Topics for self-study

Author credits, license, study sequence and original notebook environment
Fractional quantum Hall effect and topological particles
Topological order and the toric code
Tight-binding models in a magnetic field: Peierls substitution
Additional notes on computing Chern number
Topics for self-study
Beyond ideal toy models: finite systems, disorder and topology
4 objectives