Topological end states and Zak phase of rectangular armchair ribbon

Abstract

We consider the end states of a half-filled rectangular armchair graphene ribbon (RAGR) in a staggered potential. Taking electron-electron interactions into account we find that, as the strength of the staggered potential varies, three types of couplings between the end states can occur: antiferromagnetic without or with spin splitting, and paramagnetic without spin-splitting. We find that a spin-splitting is present only in the staggered potential region $0<Δ<Δ_c$. The transition from the antiferromagnetic state at $Δ=0$ to the paramagnetic state goes through an intermediate spin-split antiferromagnetic state, and this spin-splitting disappears suddenly at $Δ_c$. For small and large values of $Δ$ the end charge of a RAGR can be connected to the Zak phase of the periodic armchair graphene ribbon (PARG) with the same width, and it varies continuously as the strength of the potential changes.