Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Waves topology'

There are two classes of phononic structures that can support elastic waves with non-conventional topology, namely intrinsic and extrinsic systems. The non-conventional topology of elastic wave results from breaking time reversal symmetry (T-symmetry) of wave propagation. In extrinsic systems, energy is injected into the phononic structure to break T-symmetry. In intrinsic systems symmetry is broken through the medium microstructure that may lead to internal resonances. Mass-spring composite structures are introduced as metaphors for more complex phononic crystals with non-conventional topology. The elastic wave equation of motion of an intrinsic phononic structure composed of two coupled one-dimensional (1D) harmonic chains can be factored into a Dirac-like equation, leading to antisymmetric modes that have spinor character and therefore non-conventional topology in wave number space. The topology of the elastic waves can be further modified by subjecting phononic structures to externally-induced spatio-temporal modulation of their elastic properties. Such modulations can be actuated through photo-elastic effects, magneto-elastic effects, piezo-electric effects or external mechanical effects. We also uncover an analogy between a combined intrinsic-extrinsic systems composed of a simple one-dimensional harmonic chain coupled to a rigid substrate subjected to a spatio-temporal modulation of the side spring stiffness and the Dirac equation in the presence of an electromagnetic field. The modulation is shown to be able to tune the spinor part of the elastic wave function and therefore its topology. This analogy between classical mechanics and quantum phenomena offers new modalities for developing more complex functions of phononic crystals and acoustic metamaterials.

Depuis les années 80 et la découverte de l’effet Hall quantique, la topologie s’est avérée être un outil crucial pour analyser divers phénomènes ondulatoires. Parmi les concepts clés ayant émergés de ce domaine, la correspondance bord-volume se distingue. Elle établit un lien entre l'existence d'états de bords d'énergie nulle dans des matériaux isolants dans leur volume et des propriétés topologiques définies dans le-dit volume. Cependant, de nombreux autres phénomènes topologiques, tels que les isolants d'ordre supérieur ou les semi-métaux sont documentés dans la littérature, chacun avec sa propre phénoménologie distincte. Cette thèse présente un nouveau formalisme, baptisé "mode-shell correspondence", qui harmonise ces divers résultats de la recherche et généralise la correspondance bord-volume. En effet, cette correspondance démontre la possibilité de lier, de manière générale, les propriétés des modes topologiques à basse énergie à une propriété topologique définie dans la coquille (shell), représentant la surface entourant ces modes dans l'espace des phases. De plus, cette thèse explore les extensions de ce formalisme aux systèmes non-linéaires et non-Hermitiens, lesquels revêtent une importance particulière pour l'étude des propriétés topologiques des ondes classiques
Since the 1980s and the discovery of the quantum Hall effect, topology has proven to be a crucial tool for analyzing various wave phenomena. Among the key concepts that have emerged from this field, bulk-edge correspondence stands out. It establishes a link between the existence of zero energy edge states in bulk-insulating materials and topological properties defined in the bulk. However, many other topological phenomena, such as higher order insulators or semimetals, are documented in the literature, each with their own distinct phenomenology. This thesis presents a new formalism, called "mode-shell correspondence", which harmonizes these various research results and generalizes the bulk-edge correspondence. Indeed, this correspondence demonstrates the possibility of linking, in a general way, the properties of low energy topological modes to a topological property defined in the shell, representing the surface surrounding these modes in phase space. Furthermore, this thesis explores the extensions of this formalism to non-linear and non- Hermitian systems, which are of particular importance for the study of the topological properties of classical waves

This thesis considers topology optimization methods for wave propagation problems. These methods make no a priori assumptions on topological properties such as the number of bodies involved in the design. The performed studies address problems from two different areas, acoustic wave propagation and microwave tomography. The final study discusses implementation aspects concerning the efficient solution of large scale material distribution problems. Acoustic horns may be viewed as impedance transformers between the feeding waveguide and the surrounding air. Modifying the shape of an acoustic horn changes the quality of the impedance match as well as the angular distribution of the radiated waves in the far field (the directivity). This thesis presents strategies to optimize acoustic devices with respect to efficiency and directivity simultaneously. The resulting devices exhibit desired far field properties and high efficiency throughout wide frequency ranges. In microwave tomography, microwaves illuminate an object, and measurements of the scattered electrical field are used to depict the object's conductive and dielectric properties. Microwave tomography has unique features for medical applications. However, the reconstruction problem is difficult due to strongly diffracting waves in combination with large dielectric contrasts. This thesis demonstrates a new method to perform the reconstruction using techniques originally developed for topology optimization of linearly elastic structures. Numerical experiments illustrate the method and produce good estimates of dielectric properties corresponding to biological objects. Material distribution problems are typically cast as large (for high resolutions) nonlinear programming problems over coefficients in partial differential equations. Here, the computational power of a modern graphics processing unit (GPU) efficiently solves a pixel based material distribution problem with over 4 million unknowns using a gradient based optimality criteria method.

The aim of this study is to develop numerical techniques for the analysis and optimization of acoustic horns for time harmonic wave propagation. An acoustic horn may be viewed as an impedance transformer, designed to give an impedance matching between the feeding waveguide and the surrounding air. When modifying the shape of the horn, the quality of this impedance matching changes, as well as the angular distribution of the radiated wave in the far field (the directivity). The dimensions of the horns considered are in the order of the wavelength. In this wavelength region the wave physics is complicated, and it is hard to apply elementary physical reasoning to enhance the performance of the horn. Here, topology optimization is applied to improve the efficiency and to gain control over the directivity of the acoustic horn.

A manifold is a Hausdorff topological space that is locally Euclidean. We will define the difference between a Riemannian manifold and a pseudo-Riemannian manifold. We will explore how geodesics behave on pseudo-Riemannian manifolds and what it means for manifolds to be geodesically complete. The Hopf-Rinow theorem states that,“Riemannian manifolds are geodesically complete if and only if it is complete as a metric space,” [Lee97] however, in pseudo-Riemannian geometry, there is no analogous theorem since in general a pseudo-Riemannian metric does not induce a metric space structure on the manifold. Our main focus will be on a family of manifolds referred to as a generalized plane wave manifolds. We will prove that all generalized plane wave manifolds are geodesically complete.

We investigate generalizations of coherent states as a means of representing the dynamics of excitations of the superconducting ground state. We also analyse the propagation of generalized coherent state wave packets under the Bogoliubov-de Gennes Hamiltonian. The excitations of the superconducting ground state are superpositions of electron and hole quasi-particles described by the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations, that can only exist at energies outside the band gap. A natural generalization relevant to the excitations of the superconducting ground state is the tensor product of canonical and spin coherent states. This state will quickly become de-localized on phase space under evolution by the Bogoliubov-de Gennes Hamiltonian due to the opposite velocities of the quasi-spin components. We therefore define the electron-hole coherent states which remain localised on phase space over longer times. We show that the electron-hole coherent states though entangled retain many defining features of coherent states. We analyse the propagation of both product and electron hole coherent states in a superconductor with a spatially homogeneous superconducting band gap. The dispersion relation indicates that wavepackets defined on the band gap have a zero group velocity, but we will show that interference effects can create states on the band gap that propagate at the Fermi velocity. We also consider the two semiclassical, short wavelength regimes, hbar→0$ and the large Fermi energy limit mu→infinity. In general these limits produce behaviour analogous to the canonical coherent states except for isolated cases. Finally we analyse the dynamics of the Andreev Reflection of a Gaussian wavepacket incident on a discontinuous normal-superconducting interface. We show that restricting the energy bandwidth of the incident state inside the superconducting band gap precludes the wavepacket from fully entering the superconducting region. We again consider the two semiclassical regimes.

Characterizing a manifold up to isometry is a challenging task. A manifold is a topological space. One may equip a manifold with a metric, and generally speaking, this metric determines how the manifold “looks". An example of this would be the unit sphere in R3. While we typically envision the standard metric on this sphere to give it its familiar shape, one could define a different metric on this set of points, distorting distances within this set to make it seem perhaps more ellipsoidal, something not isometric to the standard round sphere. In an effort to distinguish manifolds up to isometry, we wish to compute meaningful invariants. For example, the Riemann curvature tensor and its surrogates are examples of invariants one could construct. Since these objects are generally too complicated to compare and are not real valued, we construct scalar invariants from these objects instead. This thesis will explore these invariants and exhibit a special family of manifolds that are not flat on which all of these invariants vanish. We will go on to properly define, and gives examples of, manifolds, metrics, tangent vector fields, and connections. We will show how to compute the Christoffel symbols that define the Levi-Civita connection, how to compute curvature, and how to raise and lower indices so that we can produce scalar invariants. In order to construct the curvature operator and curvature tensor, we use the miracle of pseudo-Riemannian geometry, i.e., the Levi-Civita connection, the unique torsion free and metric compatible connection on a manifold. Finally, we examine Generalized Plane Wave Manifolds, and show that all scalar invariants of Weyl type on these manifolds vanish, despite the fact that many of these manifolds are not flat.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--School of Computing and Engineering. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2007.
"A dissertation in computer networking and telecommunication networking." Advisor: Deep Medhi. Typescript. Vita. Title from "catalog record" of the print edition Description based on contents viewed Jan. 24, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 130-138). Online version of the print edition.

Au sens large, le terme de localisation ondulatoire fait référence à un phénomène où les ondes sont spatialement confinées dans de petites régions de l'espace sans la contrainte de barrières matérielles. Dans cette thèse, nous étudions (analytiquement, numériquement et expérimentalement) différents mécanismes physiques collectifs pour localiser spatialement, et donc pour contrôler les ondes électromagnétiques. En particulier, nous nous concentrons sur le rôle des potentiels non corrélés et corrélés, ainsi que sur des effets topologiques pour réaliser le confinement des ondes. Les études analytiques et numériques sont réalisées dans le cadre d'une approche récente de la modélisation de la localisation d'Anderson appelée théorie du paysage de localisation. D'autre part, des expériences sont réalisées à l'aide d'une plate-forme micro-ondes composée de petits cylindres diélectriques placés à l'intérieur d'une cavité constituée de deux plaques métalliques. La cavité met en œuvre un système d'ondes propagatives, où nous pouvons contrôler efficacement la permittivité locale au moyen des cylindres agissant comme des diffuseurs, ou comme un système de de liaison forte analogique, où, dans ce cas, les cylindres diélectriques jouent le rôle de résonateurs. Dans un premier temps, nous étendons le champ d'application de l'approche du paysage de localisation à une large classe de systèmes de liaison forte unidimensionnels et bidimensionnels en présence d'un désordre non corrélé, où des fonctions propres localisées apparaissent en bord de bande. Nous démontrons comment la théorie du paysage de localisation est capable de prédire avec précision non seulement les emplacements, mais aussi les énergies des fonctions propres localisées dans les régimes de basse et de haute énergie. Ensuite, en utilisant notre cavité expérimentale comme système de propagation, nous réalisons des expériences de transport de micro-ondes dans des réseaux planaires bidimensionnels. Les expériences sont réalisées sur un réseau désordonné et sur une spirale de Vogel apériodique à partir de laquelle nous caractérisons les structures modales électromagnétiques dans l'espace réel. Nos résultats révèlent que les systèmes apériodiques possèdent une grande variété de modes à longue durée de vie - avec des décroissances spatiales gaussiennes, exponentielles et en loi de puissance - qui sont capables de survivre même dans un environnement tridimensionnel. Ceci est confirmé par différentes quantités de transport telles que la densité d'états, le temps de décroissance caractéristique et la conductance de Thouless qui sont également accessibles expérimentalement. À l'inverse, nous montrons que les états propres dans les milieux désordonnés traditionnels sont toujours limités à des décroissances radiales exponentielles avec d'importantes fuites dès que les systèmes ne sont plus bidimensionnels. Enfin, nous utilisons la configuration expérimentale de liaison forte pour étudier la propagation des états hélicoïdaux topologiques. En particulier, nous analysons expérimentalement un ensemble de structures en nid d'abeille construites à l'aide d'un réseau triangulaire avec une cellule unitaire hexagonale, qui sont caractérisées par l'invariant topologique Z_2. En accédant à la structure modale dans l'espace réel et à la densité d'états, nos résultats révèlent la possibilité d'ouvrir une bande interdite topologique, peuplée d'états de bord localisés en bordure de la structure. Nous démontrons la nature unidirectionelle de la propagation de ces états de bord hélicoïdaux contre-propagatifs. Dans l'ensemble, nos résultats démontrent qu'il est possible de modéliser, de contrôler et de localiser les ondes électromagnétiques non seulement du point de vue d'Anderson, mais aussi au-delà. Grâce aux différents jalons que nous avons posés, nous ouvrons une voie vers l'hypothétique localisation d'Anderson des ondes électromagnétiques tridimensionnelles
In a broad sense, the term wave localization refers to a phenomenon where waves are spatially confined in small regions of the space without any bounding material barriers.In this Thesis, we investigate (analytically, numerically and experimentally) different physical collective mechanisms to spatially localize, and therefore, to control electromagnetic waves. Specifically, we focus on the role of uncorrelated and correlated potentials, as well as of topological effects to achieve wave confinement. Analytical and numerical studies are accomplished in the framework of a recent approach in the modeling of Anderson localization called localization landscape theory. On the other hand, experiments are performed using a microwave platform composed by small dielectric cylinders placed inside a cavity made of two metallic plates. The cavity implements a propagative wave system, where we can efficiently control the local permittivity by means of the cylinders acting as scatterers, or as an analogic tight-binding system, where, in this case, the dielectric cylinders play the role of resonators.First, we extend the scope of the localization landscape approach to a wide class of one and two dimensional tight-binding systems in the presence of uncorrelated disorder, where localized eigenfunctions appear in both band-edges. We demonstrate how the landscape theory is able to predict accurately not only the locations, but also the energies of localized eigenfunctions in the low- and high-energy regimes. Later, by using our experimental cavity as a propagative system, we perform microwave transport experiments in two dimensional planar arrays. Experiments are carried out on a disordered lattice and on an aperiodic Vogel spiral from where we characterize the electromagnetic modal structures in real space. Our results reveals that aperiodic systems can carry a rich variety of long-lived modes—with Gaussian, exponential, and power law spatial decays—which are able to survive even in a three-dimensional environment. This is supported by different transport quantities such as the density of states, the characteristic decay time, and the Thouless conductance that are also experimentally accessible. On the contrary, we show that the eigenstates in traditional disordered media are always limited to exponential radial decays with leaking features beyond two-dimensions.Finally, we use the experimental tight-binding configuration to investigate the propagation of topological helical states. Particularly, we experimentally analyze a set of honeycomb-like structures built using a triangular lattice with an hexagonal unit cell, which are characterized by the Z_2 topological invariant. By recovering the modal structure in real space and the density of states, our results reveal the possibility to open a topological gap, dwelt by edge states that lives in the border of the structure.We demonstrate the unidirectional counterpropagative features of such helical edge states.Taken together, our results demonstrate that it is possible to model, control and localize electromagnetic waves not only within, but beyond Anderson's conception. Thanks to the crossroads we have taken, we have mapped out an itinerary that brings us closer to the main avenue leading perhaps to Anderson localization of three dimensional electromagnetic waves

Les panneaux composites sandwich possédant une âme nid d'abeille permettent de disposer à la fois de propriétés statiques hors plan intéressantes (en raison de leur rigidité équivalente élevée) et de caractéristiques de masses faibles. Pour cette raison, ils sont largement utilisés dans les industries aérospatiale, automobile et navale. Les environnements dans lesquels ces matériaux sont utilisés mettent en jeu des efforts dans des gammes de fréquences larges. Si un rapport rigidité / masse élevé est profitable dans le domaine des basses fréquences, il conduit généralement à des comportements vibratoires et acoustiques médiocres lorsque la fréquence d’excitation augmente. La question abordée dans ce travail peut être formulée comme : comment les concepts périodiques peuvent-ils améliorer les signatures vibroacoustiques large bande et les performances de ces structures ? La plupart des solutions vibroacoustiques sont limitées en terme de bande de fréquences d’efficacité, et induisent généralement un ajout de masse. La prise en compte de règles de conception vibroacoustiques à un stade précoce du développement du produit est l'un des principaux objectifs de recherche en vue d’améliorer leurs performances et permettrait de concevoir des structures accordées sans aucune intervention ultérieure ou augmentation de masse. Ce travail se concentre donc sur l'étude des topologies de base de panneaux sandwich existants et a pour objectif de créer de nouvelles structures améliorées. La recherche a été menée en essayant de maintenir les propriétés structurelles souhaitées, ce qui justifie l'utilisation d'une telle solution en premier lieu, mais également en considérant son utilisation potentielle comme plate-forme pour la mise en place d’inserts de matériaux périodiques résonants. Ces noyaux cellulaires ont été fabriqués en utilisant la technique du Kirigami (qui est une variante de l'Origami) : il s’agit d’une ancienne technique japonaise qui consiste à créer des structures 3D en pliant et en découpant une feuille de matériau 2D. Cette technique de fabrication peut être utilisée comme un moyen systématique de produire des configurations générales en nid d'abeilles avec des composites à fibres longues par thermoformage et / ou autoclavage. Le principal indicateur utilisé ici afin d’évaluer les performances vibroacoustiques des topologies innovantes proposées est le nombre et la plage de bandes d'arrêt, également connues sous le nom de bandes interdites, qui décrivent les plages de fréquences dans lesquelles les ondes élastiques ne peuvent pas se propager dans la structure. Ce manuscrit est organisé en cinq chapitres. Le premier consiste en un bref aperçu des structures périodiques dans les différents domaines d'ingénierie. L'accent est mis sur les panneaux sandwich et leurs techniques de fabrication les plus populaires sera également décrit. Le deuxième chapitre présentera au lecteur le concept de propagation des ondes élastiques dans les milieux périodiques. De plus, des phénomènes comme les interférences de Bragg ou les bandes interdites résonantes seront présentés ainsi que la théorie de Floquet-Bloch appliquée aux structures à périodiques typiquement utilisées dans l’aéronautique. Cette dernière dérivation mathématique sera fusionnée avec l'approche d'analyse par éléments finis et mise en œuvre comme base pour les outils de prédiction numérique spécialement développés afin de permettre la réalisation d’investigations paramétriques sur des panneaux sandwich complets ou des cœurs nus. La théorie de Floquet-Bloch permet de récolter des informations cruciales sur le comportement dynamique de l’ensemble de la structure en n’effectuant l’analyse que sur une petite partie de celle-ci (cellule unitaire).[...]
Honeycomb sandwich panels are well known to provide interesting static out of plane properties because of their high equivalent stiffness whilst containing mass and for this reason, they are widely used as a ‘building brick’ in the Aerospace, Automotive and Naval industries. The environment in which these materials operate involve external forces which excites them in the mid-low frequency range. However, while a high stiffness/mass ratio is a desirable static property, the vibration frequency domain is usually in the high range and therefore they become poor mechanical and acoustic insulators within the frequency range they are usually subjected to. The question addressed then is simple: how periodic concepts can improve the broadband vibroacoustic signatures and performances of those structures? Most of vibroacoustic solutions are frequency band limited, specific and usually include the addition of mass, which for certain engineering segments is disadvantageous. Including vibroacoustic design rules at early stage of product development is one of the main research targets to improve their performance and would allow to design tuned structures without any later intervention or mass increment. This work focuses on investigating existing sandwich panel core topologies and attempt to create novel improved structures. The research was carried out trying to maintain the desired structural properties which justifies the usage of such solution in the first place but also considering its potential use as a platform for Multiphysics resonating periodic material inserts. Such cellular cores were manufactured using Kirigami, which is a variation of Origami, an ancient Japanese technique that consists in creating 3D structures by folding a 2D sheet of material. This manufacturing technique can be used as a systematic way to produce general honeycomb configurations with off-the-shelf long fibre composites by thermoforming and/or autoclaving. The main indicator on which I will focus to evaluate the vibroacoustic performance of the proposed innovative topologies will be the number and range of stopbands, also known as a bandgaps, which describe the frequency ranges in which elastic waves are not transmitted within the structure, in combination with the constituent material and its damping properties. This manuscript is organised in five chapters. The first one consists of a brief overview on periodic structures in the various engineering domains. Emphasis on Sandwich panels and their most popular manufacturing techniques will also be described. The second chapter will introduce the reader to the concept of elastic wave propagation in periodic media. Also, phenomena like Bragg or resonant bandgaps will be explained as well as the Floquet-Bloch theory applied to macro-scale structures such as aeronautical cellular cores.[...]

Le moment orbital angulaire (OAM) de la lumière est une grandeur quantifiée associée à la phase d’un vortex optique et est actuellement une des variables explorées pour les technologies quantiques.Dans ce contexte, cette thèse étudie expérimentalement la conversion de vortex optiques par une vapeur de rubidium, via la transition Raman stimulée à deux photons 5S₁/₂ − 5D₅/₂. Quand les atomes sont soumis à deux lasers respectivement à 780 nm et 776 nm, ils génèrent des rayonnements cohérents, infrarouge à 5,23 μm et bleu à 420 nm. On examine le rayonnement bleu lorsque l’un des lasers ou les deux sont des vortex, en particulier des modes de Laguerre-Gauss. Dans une première partie nous montrons que si l’OAM est porté par le laser à 776 nm, alors le rayonnement bleu émis porte un OAM qui respecte l’accord de phase azimutale et de phase de Gouy. Nous montrons aussi que la conversion est efficace sur une grande plage d’OAM allant de -50 à +50, que l’efficacité est gouvernée par le produit des intensités des lasers incidents et que le rayonnement bleu se comporte comme un mode de Laguerre-Gauss pur. Dans une deuxième partie nous montrons qu’il est possible de convertir une superposition de vortex ou une paire de vortex coaxiaux et que l’OAM du rayonnement bleu émis obéit à la règle de somme des OAM incidents. Pour les cas étudiés, nous proposons un modèle de mélange à quatre ondes qui établit les règles de sélection du processus de conversion d’OAM. Ce travail ouvre la voie vers la conversion d’OAM utilisant des transitions vers des niveaux atomiques plus élevés
The orbital angular momentum of light (OAM) is a quantized quantity arising from the azimuthal phase carried by optical vortices and is well-known for quantum technology applications. Its set of values is theoretically infinite.In this context this thesis experimentally study the conversion of optical vortices in a rubidium vapor through the 5S₁/₂ − 5D₅/₂ stimulated Raman transition. When the atoms are illuminated with laser beams at 780 nm and 776 nm they generate two coherent light beams at 5,23 μm and 420 nm. We investigate the blue light when one laser or both are optical vortices, in particular Laguerre-Gaussian modes. In a first part we show that if the laser at 776 nm carries an OAM the blue light is an optical vortex with an OAM which respects azimutal and Gouy phase matchings. We further show that the conversion is efficient on a large set of OAM from -50 to +50, that the efficiency is governed by the product of the input laser intensities and that the blue light behaves like a pure Laguerre-Gaussian mode. In a second part we demonstrate the conversion of a vortex superposition or a pair of coaxial vortices and that the OAM of the emitted light obeys the conservation rule of total OAM. For each studied case we propose a four wave mixing model establishing selection rules for the conversion process. This work opens possibilities towards OAM conversion using higher atomic levels

The increased knowledge about the complexity of the physiological processes increases the demand on the analytical techniques employed to explore them. A comprehensive analysis of the entire sample content is today the most common approach to investigate the molecular interplay behind a physiological deviation. For this purpose a method that offers a number of important properties, such as speed and simplicity, high resolution and sensitivity, minimal sample volume requirements, cost efficiency and robustness, possibility of automation, high-throughput and wide application range of analysis is requested. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) has a great potential and fulfils many of these criteria. However, further developments and improvements of these techniques and their combination are required to meet the challenges of complex biological samples. Protein analysis using CE is a challenging task due to protein adsorption to the negatively charged fused-silica capillary wall. This is especially emphasised with increased basicity and size of proteins and peptides. In this thesis, the adsorption problem was addressed by using an in-house developed physically adsorbed polyamine coating, named PolyE-323. The coating procedure is fast and simple that generates a coating stable over a wide pH range, 2-11. By coupling PolyE-323 modified capillaries to MS, either using electrospray ionisation (ESI) or matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation (MALDI), successful analysis of peptides, proteins and complex samples, such as protein digests and crude human body fluids were obtained. The possibilities of using CE-MALDI-MS/MS as a proteomic tool, combined with a proper sample preparation, are further demonstrated by applying high-abundant protein depletion in combination with a peptide derivatisation step or isoelectric focusing (IEF). These approaches were applied in profiling of the proteomes of human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and human follicular fluid (hFF), respectively. Finally, a multiplexed quantitative proteomic analysis was performed on a set of ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (vCSF) samples from a patient with traumatic brain injury (TBI) to follow relative changes in protein patterns during the recovery process. The results presented in this thesis confirm the potential of CE, in combination with MS, as a valuable choice in the analysis of complex biological samples and clinical applications.

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Complex network analysis is a powerful tool into research of complex systems like brain networks. This work aims to describe the topological changes in neural functional connectivity networks of neocortex and hippocampus during slow-wave sleep (SWS) in animals submited to a novel experience exposure. Slow-wave sleep is an important sleep stage where occurs reverberations of electrical activities patterns of wakeness, playing a fundamental role in memory consolidation. Although its importance there s a lack of studies that characterize the topological dynamical of functional connectivity networks during that sleep stage. There s no studies that describe the topological modifications that novel exposure leads to this networks. We have observed that several topological properties have been modified after novel exposure and this modification remains for a long time. Major part of this changes in topological properties by novel exposure are related to fault tolerance
A an?lise da topologia de redes ? uma poderosa ferramenta no estudo de sistemas complexos tal como as redes cerebrais. Este trabalho procura descrever as mudan?as na topologia de redes de conex?o funcional em neur?nios do c?rtex sensorial e do hipocampo durante o sono de ondas lentas (SWS) em animais expostos ? novidade. O sono de ondas lentas ? um importante estado do sono onde h? reverbera??o de padr?es de atividade el?trica ocorridos na vig?lia, tendo com isso papel fundamental na consolida??o de mem?ria. Apesar de sua import?ncia ainda n?o h? estudos que caracterizam a din?mica da topologia de redes de conex?o funcional durante este estado. Tampouco h? estudos que descrevem as modifica??es topol?gicas que a exposi??o ? novidade traz a essas redes. Observamos que v?rias propriedades topol?gicas s?o modificadas ap?s a exposi??o ? novidade e que tais modifica??es se mant?m por um longo per?odo de tempo. A maior parte das propriedades modificadas pela exposi??o ? novidade est? relacionada ? toler?ncia ? falha

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This dissertation is devoted to the study of wave planar fronts following the work developed by Aicardi in [Ai1]. She finds theses invariantsas a generalization of those introduced by Arnold for plane curves by using the Vassiliev Theory. In this work, we study and describe Aicardi's invariants as well as their properties. Moreover, by using the notions of bridges and chanel given in [MJ-RF] we obtain an alternative algorithm for the calculation os such invariants.
Esta dissertação é dedicada ao estudo dos invariantes de frentes de ondas planas seguindo o trabalho desenvolvido por F. Aicardi em [Ai1]. Ela encontra estes invariantes fazendo uma generalização dos invariantes de curvas planas introduzidos por Arnold utilizando a teoria de Vassiliev. Neste trabalho estudamos e descrevemos os invariantes de Aicardi, assim como suas propriedades. Além disso, utilizando as nações de pontes e canais de curvas dado em [MJ-RJ] apresentamos um algoritmo alternativo para o cálculo de tais invariantes.

Fixed wireless communication is a cost-efficient solution for flexible and rapid front-/backhaul deployments. Technologies including dual polarization, carrier aggregation, and higher order modulation schemes have been developed for enhancing its throughput. In order to better support the massive traffic increment during network evolution, novel wireless backhaul solutions with possible new dimensions in increasing the spectral efficiency are needed. Line-of-Sight (LoS) Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) communication is such a promising candidate allowing the throughput to scale linearly with the deployed antenna pairs. Spatial multiplexing with sub-channels having approximately equal quality exists within a single LoS direction. In addition, operating at millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies or higher, the abundantly available bandwidth can further enhance the throughput of LoS MIMO communication. The mmWave LoS MIMO communication in this work exploits the spatial multiplexing from the structured phase couplings of a single path direction, while most of the state-of-the-art works in mmWave communication focus on the spatial multiplexing from the spatial signature of multiple path directions. Challenges: The performance of a LoS MIMO system is highly dependent on the antenna topology. Topologies resulting in theoretically orthogonal channels are considered as optimal arrangements. The general topology solution from a unified viewpoint is unknown. The known optimal arrangements in the literature are rather independently derived and contain restrictions on their array planes. Moreover, operating at mmWave frequencies with wideband signals introduces additional challenges. On one hand, high pathloss is one limiting factor of the received signal power. On the other hand, high symbol rates and relatively high antenna numbers create challenges in signal processing, especially the required complexity for compensating hardware imperfections and applying beamforming. Targets: In this thesis, we focus on antenna topologies and signal processing schemes to effectively handle the complexity challenge in LoS MIMO communications. Considering the antenna topology, we target a general solution of optimal arrangements on any arbitrarily curved surface. Moreover, we study the antenna topologies with which the system gains more streams and better received signals. Considering the signal processing, we look for low complexity schemes that can effectively compensate the hardware impairments and can cope with a large number of antennas. Main Contributions: The following models and algorithms are developed for understanding mmWave LoS spatial multiplexing and turning it into practice. First, after analyzing the relation between the phase couplings and the antenna positions in three dimensional space, we derive a channel factorization model for LoS MIMO communication. Based on this, we provide a general topology solution from a projection point of view and show that the resulting spatial multiplexing is robust against moderate displacement errors. In addition, we propose a multi-subarray LoS MIMO system for jointly harvesting the spatial multiplexing and array gains. Then, we propose a novel algorithm for LoS MIMO channel equalization, which is carried out in the reverse order w.r.t. the channel factorization model. The number of multiplications in both digital and analog implementations of the proposed solution is found to increase approximately linearly w.r.t. the number of antennas. The proposed algorithm thus potentially reduces complexity for equalizing the channel during the system expansion with more streams. After this, we focus on algorithms that can effectively estimate and compensate the hardware impairments. A systolic/pipelined processing architecture is proposed in this work to achieve a balance between computational complexity and performance. The proposed architecture is a viable approach that scales well with the number of MIMO streams. With the recorded data from a hardware-in-the-loop demonstrator, it is shown that the proposed algorithms can provide reliable signal estimates at a relatively low complexity level. Finally, a channel model is derived for mmWave systems with multiple widely spaced subarrays and multiple paths. The spatial multiplexing gain from the spatial signature of multiple path directions and the spatial multiplexing gain from the structured phase couplings of a single path direction are found simultaneously at two different levels of the antenna arrangements. Attempting to exploit them jointly, we propose to use an advanced hybrid analog/digital beamforming architecture to efficiently process the signals at reasonable costs and complexity. The proposed system can overcome the low rank property caused by the limited number of propagation paths.

In this thesis, we study quantum phase transitions and topological phases in low dimensional fermionic systems. In the first part, we study quantum phase transitions and the nature of currents in one-dimensional systems, using eld theoretic techniques like bosonization and renormalization group. This involves the study of currents in Luttinger liquids, and the fate of a persistent current in a 1D system. In the second part of the thesis, we study the different types of Majorana edge modes in a 1D p-wave topological superconductor. Further we extend our analysis to the e ect of an additional s-wave pairing and a Zeeman field on the topological properties, and present a detailed phase diagram and symmetry classification for each of the cases. In the third part, we concentrate on the topological phases in two-dimensional systems. More specifically, we study the experimental realization of SU(3) topological phases in optical lattice experiments, which is characterized by the presence of gapless edge modes at the boundaries of the system. We discuss the specific characteristics required by a such a three component Hamiltonian to have a non-zero Chern number, and discuss a schematic lattice model for a possible experimental realization. The thesis is divided into three chapters, as discussed below: In the first chapter, we study the effect of a boost (Fermi sea displaced by a finite momentum) on one dimensional systems of lattice fermions with short-ranged interactions. In the absence of a boost such systems with attractive interactions possess algebraic superconducting order. Motivated by physics in higher dimensions, one might naively expect a boost to weaken and ultimately destroy superconductivity. However, we show that for one dimensional systems the e ect of the boost can be to strengthen the algebraic superconducting order by making correlation functions fall o more slowly with distance. This phenomenon can manifest in interesting ways, for example, a boost can produce a Luther-Emery phase in a system with both charge and spin gaps by engendering the destruction of the former. In the second chapter, we study the type of Majorana modes and the topological phases that can appear in a one-dimensional spinless p-wave superconductor. We have considered two types of p-wave pairing, 4"" = 4## and 4"" = 4##., and show that in both cases two types of Majorana bound states (MBS) with different spatial dependence emerge at the edges: one purely decaying and one damped oscillatory. Even in the presence of a Zeeman term B, this nature of the MBS persists in each case, where the value of chemical potential and magnetic field B decides which type will appear. We present a corresponding phase diagram, indicating the number and type of MBS in the -B space. Further, we identify the possible symmetry classes for the two cases (based on the ten-fold classification), and also in the presence of perturbations like a s-wave pairing and various terms involving magnetic field. It is seen that in the presence of a s-wave perturbation, the MBS will now have only one particular nature, the damped oscillating behaviour, unlike that for the unperturbed p-wave case. In the third chapter, we study SU(3) topological phases in two dimension. It is shown by Barnett et.al that N copies of the Hofstadter model with 2N Abelian ux per plaquette is equivalent to an N-component atom coupled to a homogeneous non-Abelian SU(N) gauge field in a square lattice. Such models have non-zero Chern number and for N = 3, can be written in terms of the SU(3) generators. In our work, we uncover two salient ingredients required to express a general three-component lattice Hamiltonian in a SU(3) format with non-trivial topological invariant. We nd that all three components must be coupled via a gauge eld, with opposite Bloch phase (in momentum space, if the NN hopping between two components is teik, then for the other two components, this should be te ik) between any two components, and there must be band inversion between all three components in a given eigenstate. For spinless particles, we show that such states can be obtained in a tripartite lattice with three inequivalent lattice sites, in which the Bloch phase associated with the nearest neighbor hopping acts as k-space gauge eld. The second criterion is the hopping amplitude t should have an opposite sign in the diagonal element for one of the two components, which can be introduced via a constant phase ei along the direction of hopping. The third and a more crucial criterion is that there must also be an odd-parity Zeeman-like term (as k ! k, the term changes sign), i.e. sin(k) z term, where z is the third Pauli matrix defined with any two components of the three component basis. In the presence of a constant vector potential, the kinetic energy of the electron gets modified when the vector potential causes a flux to be enclosed. This can generate the desired odd parity Zeeman term, via a site-selective polarization of the vector potential. This can be achieved in principle by suitable modifications of techniques used in Sisyphus cooling, and with a suitable arrangement of polarizer plates, etc. The topological phase is a firmed by edge state calculation, obeying the bulk-boundary correspondence.

In this thesis, we study quantum phase transitions and topological phases in low dimensional fermionic systems. In the first part, we study quantum phase transitions and the nature of currents in one-dimensional systems, using eld theoretic techniques like bosonization and renormalization group. This involves the study of currents in Luttinger liquids, and the fate of a persistent current in a 1D system. In the second part of the thesis, we study the different types of Majorana edge modes in a 1D p-wave topological superconductor. Further we extend our analysis to the e ect of an additional s-wave pairing and a Zeeman field on the topological properties, and present a detailed phase diagram and symmetry classification for each of the cases. In the third part, we concentrate on the topological phases in two-dimensional systems. More specifically, we study the experimental realization of SU(3) topological phases in optical lattice experiments, which is characterized by the presence of gapless edge modes at the boundaries of the system. We discuss the specific characteristics required by a such a three component Hamiltonian to have a non-zero Chern number, and discuss a schematic lattice model for a possible experimental realization. The thesis is divided into three chapters, as discussed below: In the first chapter, we study the effect of a boost (Fermi sea displaced by a finite momentum) on one dimensional systems of lattice fermions with short-ranged interactions. In the absence of a boost such systems with attractive interactions possess algebraic superconducting order. Motivated by physics in higher dimensions, one might naively expect a boost to weaken and ultimately destroy superconductivity. However, we show that for one dimensional systems the e ect of the boost can be to strengthen the algebraic superconducting order by making correlation functions fall o more slowly with distance. This phenomenon can manifest in interesting ways, for example, a boost can produce a Luther-Emery phase in a system with both charge and spin gaps by engendering the destruction of the former. In the second chapter, we study the type of Majorana modes and the topological phases that can appear in a one-dimensional spinless p-wave superconductor. We have considered two types of p-wave pairing, 4"" = 4## and 4"" = 4##., and show that in both cases two types of Majorana bound states (MBS) with different spatial dependence emerge at the edges: one purely decaying and one damped oscillatory. Even in the presence of a Zeeman term B, this nature of the MBS persists in each case, where the value of chemical potential and magnetic field B decides which type will appear. We present a corresponding phase diagram, indicating the number and type of MBS in the -B space. Further, we identify the possible symmetry classes for the two cases (based on the ten-fold classification), and also in the presence of perturbations like a s-wave pairing and various terms involving magnetic field. It is seen that in the presence of a s-wave perturbation, the MBS will now have only one particular nature, the damped oscillating behaviour, unlike that for the unperturbed p-wave case. In the third chapter, we study SU(3) topological phases in two dimension. It is shown by Barnett et.al that N copies of the Hofstadter model with 2N Abelian ux per plaquette is equivalent to an N-component atom coupled to a homogeneous non-Abelian SU(N) gauge field in a square lattice. Such models have non-zero Chern number and for N = 3, can be written in terms of the SU(3) generators. In our work, we uncover two salient ingredients required to express a general three-component lattice Hamiltonian in a SU(3) format with non-trivial topological invariant. We nd that all three components must be coupled via a gauge eld, with opposite Bloch phase (in momentum space, if the NN hopping between two components is teik, then for the other two components, this should be te ik) between any two components, and there must be band inversion between all three components in a given eigenstate. For spinless particles, we show that such states can be obtained in a tripartite lattice with three inequivalent lattice sites, in which the Bloch phase associated with the nearest neighbor hopping acts as k-space gauge eld. The second criterion is the hopping amplitude t should have an opposite sign in the diagonal element for one of the two components, which can be introduced via a constant phase ei along the direction of hopping. The third and a more crucial criterion is that there must also be an odd-parity Zeeman-like term (as k ! k, the term changes sign), i.e. sin(k) z term, where z is the third Pauli matrix defined with any two components of the three component basis. In the presence of a constant vector potential, the kinetic energy of the electron gets modified when the vector potential causes a flux to be enclosed. This can generate the desired odd parity Zeeman term, via a site-selective polarization of the vector potential. This can be achieved in principle by suitable modifications of techniques used in Sisyphus cooling, and with a suitable arrangement of polarizer plates, etc. The topological phase is a firmed by edge state calculation, obeying the bulk-boundary correspondence.

碩士
國立中央大學
電機工程學系
101
The thesis studies two subjects. The first one is on millimeter-wave voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) design where two V-band VCOs are demonstrated. The second one is on injection locked frequency divider (ILFD) design where a K-band ILFD is demonstrated. The circuits were implemented in tsmcTM 90-nm CMOS and tsmcTM 0.18-μm CMOS technologies. The first part of this thesis presents two millimeter-wave VCOs using the fT-doubler cell. The proposed novel V-band fT-doubler VCO is implemented in tsmcTM 90-nm CMOS technology, which performs low power dissipation and low phase noise. The oscillation frequency is 58.52 GHz with the tuning range of 1100 MHz under a supply voltage of 1.2 V. The power consumption is 2.076 mW. The measured phase noise is -92.098 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset frequency. The calculated figure of merit (FOM) is -184.27 dBc/Hz. The chip size is 0.417 mm^2. The second circuit is a V-band fT-doubler VCO adopting bias level shifting technique which solves the flicker noise contributed from current source. The DC bias voltage of transistors is discussed, and then the phase noise is optimized. This VCO circuit was implemented in tsmcTM 90-nm CMOS technology. The operating frequency is 60.72 GHz with the tuning range of 1140 MHz under a supply voltage of 1.2 V. The power consumption is 10.9 mW. The measured phase noise is -90.46 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset frequency. The calculated FOM is -175.75 dBc/Hz. The chip size is 0.626 mm^2. The second part of this thesis developed ILFD design using the fT-doubler cell. A novel fT-doubler technique is applied to a K-band ILFD design, this technique provides a wide locking range under low power dissipation. This K-band ILFD is implemented in tsmcTM 0.18-μm CMOS process. The obtained locking range is 20.5 to 22.9 GHz (11.06 %) at 0-dBm input power and 1.2-V supply voltage. The power consumption is 1.728 mW. The FOM is 6.4 %/mW^2. The chip size is 0.594 mm^2. Finally, a brief conclusion is given in Chapter 5.

Topological phases of matter represent a new phase which cannot be understood in terms of Landau’s theory of symmetry breaking and are characterized by non-local topological properties emerging from purely local (microscopic) degrees of freedom. It is the non-trivial topology of the bulk band structure that gives rise to topological phases in condensed matter systems. Quantum Hall systems are prominent examples of such topological phases. Different quantum Hall states cannot be distinguished by a local order parameter. Instead, non-local measurements are required, such as the Hall conductance, to differentiate between various quantum Hall states. A signature of a topological phase is the existence of robust properties that do not depend on microscopic details and are insensitive to local perturbations which respect appropriate symmetries. Examples of such properties are the presence of protected gapless edge states at the boundary of the system for topological insulators and the remarkably precise quantization of the Hall conductance for quantum Hall states. The robustness of these properties can be under-stood through the existence of a topological invariant, such as the Chern number for quantum Hall states which is quantized to integer values and can only be changed by closing the bulk gap. Two other examples of topological phases of matter are topological superconductors and Weyl semimetals. The study of transport in various kinds of junctions of these topological materials is highly interesting for their applications in modern electronics and quantum computing. Another intriguing area to study is how to generate new kind of gapless edge modes in topological systems. In this thesis I have studied various aspects of topological phases of matter, such as electronic transport in junctions of topological insulators and topological superconductors, the generation of new kinds of boundary modes in the presence of granularity, and the effects of periodic driving in topological systems. We have studied the following topics. 1. transport across a line junction of two three-dimensional topological insulators, 2. transport across a junction of topological insulators and a superconductor, 3. surface and edge states of a topological insulator starting from a lattice model, 4. effects of granularity in topological insulators, 5. Majorana modes and conductance in systems with junctions of topological superconducting wires and normal metals, and 6. generation of new surface states in a Weyl semimetal in the presence of periodic driving by the application of electromagnetic radiation. A detailed description of each chapter is given below. • In the first chapter we introduce a number of concepts which are used in the rest of the thesis. We will discuss the ideas of topological phases of matter (for example, topological insulators, topological superconductors and Majorana modes, and Weyl semimetals), the renormalization group theory for weak interactions, and Floquet theory for periodically driven systems. • In the second chapter we study transport across a line junction which separates the surfaces of two three-dimensional topological insulators. The velocities of the Dirac electrons on the two surfaces may be unequal and may even have opposite signs. For a time-reversal invariant system, we show that the line junction is characterized by an arbitrary real parameter α; this determines the scattering amplitudes (reflection and transmission) from the junction. The physical origin of α is a potential barrier that may be present at the junction. If the surface velocities have the same sign, edge states exist that propagate along the line junction with a velocity and orientation of the spin which depend on α and the ratio of the velocities. Next, we study what happens if the two surfaces are at an angle φ with respect to each other. We study the scattering and differential conductance across the line junction as functions of φ and α. We also show that there are edge states which propagate along the line junction with a velocity and spin orientation which depend on φ. Finally, if the surface velocities have opposite signs, we find that the electrons must necessarily transmit into the two-dimensional interface separating the two topological insulators. • In the third chapter we discuss transport across a line junction lying between two orthogonal topological insulator surfaces and a superconductor which can have either s-wave (spin-singlet) or p-wave (spin-triplet) pairing symmetry. This junction is more complicated than the line junction discussed in the previous chapter because of the presence of the superconductor. In a topological insulator spin-up and spin-down electrons get coupled while in a superconductor electrons and holes get coupled. Hence we have to use a four-component spinor formalism to describe both spin and particle-hole degrees of freedom. The junction can have three time-reversal invariant barriers on the three sides. We compute the subgap charge conductance across such a junction and study their behaviors as a function of the bias voltage applied across the junction and the three parameters which characterize the barriers. We find that the presence of topological insulators and a superconductor leads to both Dirac and Schrodinger-like features in the charge conductances. We discuss the effects of bound states on the superconducting side on the conductance; in particular, we show that for triplet p-wave superconductors such a junction may be used to determine the spin state of its Cooper pairs. • In the fourth chapter we derive the surface Hamiltonians of a three-dimensional topological insulator starting from a microscopic model. (This description was not discussed in the previous chapters where we directly started from the surface Hamiltonians without deriving them form a bulk Hamiltonian). Here we begin from the bulk Hamiltonian of a three-dimensional topological insulator Bi2Se3. Using this we derive the surface Hamiltonians on various surfaces of the topological insulator, and we find the states which appear on the different surfaces and along the edge between pairs of surfaces. The surface Hamiltonians depend on the orientation of the surfaces and are therefore quite different from the previous chapters. We use both analytical methods based on the surface Hamiltonians (which are derived from the bulk Hamiltonian) and numerical methods based directly on a lattice discretization of the bulk Hamiltonian in order to find surface and edge states. We find that the application of a potential barrier along an edge can give rise to states localized at that edge. These states have an unusual energy-momentum dispersion which can be controlled by applying a potential along the edge; in particular, the velocity of these states can be tuned to zero. The scattering and conductance across the edge are studied as a function of the edge potential. We show that a magnetic field applied in a particular direction can also give rise to zero energy states on certain edges. We point out possible experimental ways of looking for the various edge states. • In the fifth chapter we study a system made of topological insulator (TI) nanocrystals which are coupled to each other. Our theoretical studies are motivated by the following experimental observations. Electrical transport measurements were carried out on thin films of nanocrystals of Bi2Se3 which is a TI. The measurements reveal that the entire system behaves like a single TI with two topological surface states at the two ends of the system. The two surface states are found to be coupled if the film thickness is small and decoupled above a certain film thickness. The surface state penetration depth is found to be unusually large and it decreases with increasing temperature. To explain all these experimental results we propose a theoretical model for this granular system. This consists of multiple grains of Bi2Se3 stacked next to each other in a regular array along the z-direction (the c-axis of Bi2Se3 nanocrystals). We assume translational invariance along the x and y directions. Each grain has top and bottom surfaces on which the electrons are described by Hamiltonians of the Dirac form which can be derived from the bulk Hamiltonian known for this material. We introduce intra-grain tunneling couplings t1 between the opposite surfaces of a single grain and inter-grain couplings t2 between nearby surfaces of two neighboring grains. We show that when t1 < t2 the entire system behaves like a single topological insulator whose outermost surfaces have gapless spectra described by Dirac Hamiltonians. We find a relation between t1, t2 and the surface state penetration depth λ which explains the properties of λ that are seen experimentally. We also present an expression for the surface state Berry phase as a function of the hybridization between the surface states and a Zeeman magnetic field that may be present in the system. At the end we theoretically studied the surface states on one of the side surfaces of the granular system and showed that many pairs of surface states can exist on the side surfaces depending on the length of the unit cell of the granular system. • In the sixth chapter we present our work on junctions of p-wave superconductors (SC) and normal metals (NM) in one dimension. We first study transport in a system where a SC wire is sandwiched between two NM wires. For such a system it is known that there is a Majorana mode at the junction between the SC and each NM lead. If the p-wave pairing changes sign at some point inside the SC, two additional Majorana modes appear near that point. We study the effect of all these modes on the subgap conductance between the leads and the SC. We derive an analytical expression as a function of and the length L of the SC for the energy shifts of the Majorana modes at the junctions due to hybridization between them; the energies oscillate and decay exponentially as L is increased. The energies exactly match the locations of the peaks in the conductance. We find that the subgap conductances do not change noticeably with the sign of . So there is no effect of the extra Majorana modes which appear inside the SC (due to changes in the signs of Δ) on the subgap conductance. Next we study junctions of three p-wave SC wires which are connected to the NM leads. Such a junction is of interest as it is the simplest system where braiding of Majorana modes is possible. Another motivation for studying this system is to see if the subgap transport is affected by changes in the signs of . For sufficiently long SCs, there are zero energy Majorana modes at the junctions between the SCs and the leads. In addition, depending on the signs of the Δ’s in the three SCs, there can also be one or three Majorana modes at the junction of the three SCs. We show that the various subgap conductances have peaks occurring at the energies of all these modes; we therefore get a rich pattern of conductance peaks. Next we study the effects of interactions between electrons (in the NM leads) on the transport. We use a renormalization group approach to study the effect of interactions on the conductance at energies far from the SC gap. Hence the earlier part of this chapter where we studied the transport at an energy E inside the SC gap (so that − < E < Δ) differs from this part where we discuss conductance at an energy E where |E| ≫ . For the latter part we assume the region of three SC wires to be a single region whose only role is to give rise to a scattering matrix for the NM wires; this scattering matrix has both normal and Andreev elements (namely, an electron can be reflected or transmitted as either an electron or a hole). We derive a renormalization group equation for the elements of the scattering matrix by assuming the interaction to be sufficiently weak. The fixed points of the renormalization group flow and their stabilities are studied; we find that the scattering matrix at the stable fixed point is highly symmetric even when the microscopic scattering matrix and the interaction strengths are not symmetric. Using the stability analysis we discuss the dependence of the conductances on the various length scales of the problem. Finally we propose an experimental realization of this system which can produce different signs of the p-wave pairings in the different SCs. • In the seventh chapter we show that the application of circularly polarized electro-magnetic radiation on the surface of a Weyl semimetal can generate states at that surface. The surface states can be characterized by their momenta due to translation invariance. The Floquet eigenvalues of these states come in complex conjugate pairs rather than being equal to ±1. If the amplitude of the radiation is small, we find some unusual bulk-boundary relations: the Floquet eigenvalues of the surface states lie at the extrema of the Floquet eigenvalues of the bulk system when the latter are plotted as a function of the momentum perpendicular to the surface, and the peaks of the Fourier transforms of the surface state wave functions lie at the momenta where the bulk Floquet eigenvalues have extrema. For the case of zero surface momentum, we can analytically derive interesting scaling relations between the decay lengths of the surface states and the amplitude and penetration depth of the radiation. For topological insulators, we again find that circularly polarized radiation can generate states on the surfaces; these states have much larger decay lengths (which can be tuned by the radiation amplitude) than the topological surface states which are present even in the absence of radiation. Finally, we show that radiation can generate surface states even for trivial insulators.

Topological phases of matter represent a new phase which cannot be understood in terms of Landau’s theory of symmetry breaking and are characterized by non-local topological properties emerging from purely local (microscopic) degrees of freedom. It is the non-trivial topology of the bulk band structure that gives rise to topological phases in condensed matter systems. Quantum Hall systems are prominent examples of such topological phases. Different quantum Hall states cannot be distinguished by a local order parameter. Instead, non-local measurements are required, such as the Hall conductance, to differentiate between various quantum Hall states. A signature of a topological phase is the existence of robust properties that do not depend on microscopic details and are insensitive to local perturbations which respect appropriate symmetries. Examples of such properties are the presence of protected gapless edge states at the boundary of the system for topological insulators and the remarkably precise quantization of the Hall conductance for quantum Hall states. The robustness of these properties can be under-stood through the existence of a topological invariant, such as the Chern number for quantum Hall states which is quantized to integer values and can only be changed by closing the bulk gap. Two other examples of topological phases of matter are topological superconductors and Weyl semimetals. The study of transport in various kinds of junctions of these topological materials is highly interesting for their applications in modern electronics and quantum computing. Another intriguing area to study is how to generate new kind of gapless edge modes in topological systems. In this thesis I have studied various aspects of topological phases of matter, such as electronic transport in junctions of topological insulators and topological superconductors, the generation of new kinds of boundary modes in the presence of granularity, and the effects of periodic driving in topological systems. We have studied the following topics. 1. transport across a line junction of two three-dimensional topological insulators, 2. transport across a junction of topological insulators and a superconductor, 3. surface and edge states of a topological insulator starting from a lattice model, 4. effects of granularity in topological insulators, 5. Majorana modes and conductance in systems with junctions of topological superconducting wires and normal metals, and 6. generation of new surface states in a Weyl semimetal in the presence of periodic driving by the application of electromagnetic radiation. A detailed description of each chapter is given below. • In the first chapter we introduce a number of concepts which are used in the rest of the thesis. We will discuss the ideas of topological phases of matter (for example, topological insulators, topological superconductors and Majorana modes, and Weyl semimetals), the renormalization group theory for weak interactions, and Floquet theory for periodically driven systems. • In the second chapter we study transport across a line junction which separates the surfaces of two three-dimensional topological insulators. The velocities of the Dirac electrons on the two surfaces may be unequal and may even have opposite signs. For a time-reversal invariant system, we show that the line junction is characterized by an arbitrary real parameter α; this determines the scattering amplitudes (reflection and transmission) from the junction. The physical origin of α is a potential barrier that may be present at the junction. If the surface velocities have the same sign, edge states exist that propagate along the line junction with a velocity and orientation of the spin which depend on α and the ratio of the velocities. Next, we study what happens if the two surfaces are at an angle φ with respect to each other. We study the scattering and differential conductance across the line junction as functions of φ and α. We also show that there are edge states which propagate along the line junction with a velocity and spin orientation which depend on φ. Finally, if the surface velocities have opposite signs, we find that the electrons must necessarily transmit into the two-dimensional interface separating the two topological insulators. • In the third chapter we discuss transport across a line junction lying between two orthogonal topological insulator surfaces and a superconductor which can have either s-wave (spin-singlet) or p-wave (spin-triplet) pairing symmetry. This junction is more complicated than the line junction discussed in the previous chapter because of the presence of the superconductor. In a topological insulator spin-up and spin-down electrons get coupled while in a superconductor electrons and holes get coupled. Hence we have to use a four-component spinor formalism to describe both spin and particle-hole degrees of freedom. The junction can have three time-reversal invariant barriers on the three sides. We compute the subgap charge conductance across such a junction and study their behaviors as a function of the bias voltage applied across the junction and the three parameters which characterize the barriers. We find that the presence of topological insulators and a superconductor leads to both Dirac and Schrodinger-like features in the charge conductances. We discuss the effects of bound states on the superconducting side on the conductance; in particular, we show that for triplet p-wave superconductors such a junction may be used to determine the spin state of its Cooper pairs. • In the fourth chapter we derive the surface Hamiltonians of a three-dimensional topological insulator starting from a microscopic model. (This description was not discussed in the previous chapters where we directly started from the surface Hamiltonians without deriving them form a bulk Hamiltonian). Here we begin from the bulk Hamiltonian of a three-dimensional topological insulator Bi2Se3. Using this we derive the surface Hamiltonians on various surfaces of the topological insulator, and we find the states which appear on the different surfaces and along the edge between pairs of surfaces. The surface Hamiltonians depend on the orientation of the surfaces and are therefore quite different from the previous chapters. We use both analytical methods based on the surface Hamiltonians (which are derived from the bulk Hamiltonian) and numerical methods based directly on a lattice discretization of the bulk Hamiltonian in order to find surface and edge states. We find that the application of a potential barrier along an edge can give rise to states localized at that edge. These states have an unusual energy-momentum dispersion which can be controlled by applying a potential along the edge; in particular, the velocity of these states can be tuned to zero. The scattering and conductance across the edge are studied as a function of the edge potential. We show that a magnetic field applied in a particular direction can also give rise to zero energy states on certain edges. We point out possible experimental ways of looking for the various edge states. • In the fifth chapter we study a system made of topological insulator (TI) nanocrystals which are coupled to each other. Our theoretical studies are motivated by the following experimental observations. Electrical transport measurements were carried out on thin films of nanocrystals of Bi2Se3 which is a TI. The measurements reveal that the entire system behaves like a single TI with two topological surface states at the two ends of the system. The two surface states are found to be coupled if the film thickness is small and decoupled above a certain film thickness. The surface state penetration depth is found to be unusually large and it decreases with increasing temperature. To explain all these experimental results we propose a theoretical model for this granular system. This consists of multiple grains of Bi2Se3 stacked next to each other in a regular array along the z-direction (the c-axis of Bi2Se3 nanocrystals). We assume translational invariance along the x and y directions. Each grain has top and bottom surfaces on which the electrons are described by Hamiltonians of the Dirac form which can be derived from the bulk Hamiltonian known for this material. We introduce intra-grain tunneling couplings t1 between the opposite surfaces of a single grain and inter-grain couplings t2 between nearby surfaces of two neighboring grains. We show that when t1 < t2 the entire system behaves like a single topological insulator whose outermost surfaces have gapless spectra described by Dirac Hamiltonians. We find a relation between t1, t2 and the surface state penetration depth λ which explains the properties of λ that are seen experimentally. We also present an expression for the surface state Berry phase as a function of the hybridization between the surface states and a Zeeman magnetic field that may be present in the system. At the end we theoretically studied the surface states on one of the side surfaces of the granular system and showed that many pairs of surface states can exist on the side surfaces depending on the length of the unit cell of the granular system. • In the sixth chapter we present our work on junctions of p-wave superconductors (SC) and normal metals (NM) in one dimension. We first study transport in a system where a SC wire is sandwiched between two NM wires. For such a system it is known that there is a Majorana mode at the junction between the SC and each NM lead. If the p-wave pairing changes sign at some point inside the SC, two additional Majorana modes appear near that point. We study the effect of all these modes on the subgap conductance between the leads and the SC. We derive an analytical expression as a function of and the length L of the SC for the energy shifts of the Majorana modes at the junctions due to hybridization between them; the energies oscillate and decay exponentially as L is increased. The energies exactly match the locations of the peaks in the conductance. We find that the subgap conductances do not change noticeably with the sign of . So there is no effect of the extra Majorana modes which appear inside the SC (due to changes in the signs of Δ) on the subgap conductance. Next we study junctions of three p-wave SC wires which are connected to the NM leads. Such a junction is of interest as it is the simplest system where braiding of Majorana modes is possible. Another motivation for studying this system is to see if the subgap transport is affected by changes in the signs of . For sufficiently long SCs, there are zero energy Majorana modes at the junctions between the SCs and the leads. In addition, depending on the signs of the Δ’s in the three SCs, there can also be one or three Majorana modes at the junction of the three SCs. We show that the various subgap conductances have peaks occurring at the energies of all these modes; we therefore get a rich pattern of conductance peaks. Next we study the effects of interactions between electrons (in the NM leads) on the transport. We use a renormalization group approach to study the effect of interactions on the conductance at energies far from the SC gap. Hence the earlier part of this chapter where we studied the transport at an energy E inside the SC gap (so that − < E < Δ) differs from this part where we discuss conductance at an energy E where |E| ≫ . For the latter part we assume the region of three SC wires to be a single region whose only role is to give rise to a scattering matrix for the NM wires; this scattering matrix has both normal and Andreev elements (namely, an electron can be reflected or transmitted as either an electron or a hole). We derive a renormalization group equation for the elements of the scattering matrix by assuming the interaction to be sufficiently weak. The fixed points of the renormalization group flow and their stabilities are studied; we find that the scattering matrix at the stable fixed point is highly symmetric even when the microscopic scattering matrix and the interaction strengths are not symmetric. Using the stability analysis we discuss the dependence of the conductances on the various length scales of the problem. Finally we propose an experimental realization of this system which can produce different signs of the p-wave pairings in the different SCs. • In the seventh chapter we show that the application of circularly polarized electro-magnetic radiation on the surface of a Weyl semimetal can generate states at that surface. The surface states can be characterized by their momenta due to translation invariance. The Floquet eigenvalues of these states come in complex conjugate pairs rather than being equal to ±1. If the amplitude of the radiation is small, we find some unusual bulk-boundary relations: the Floquet eigenvalues of the surface states lie at the extrema of the Floquet eigenvalues of the bulk system when the latter are plotted as a function of the momentum perpendicular to the surface, and the peaks of the Fourier transforms of the surface state wave functions lie at the momenta where the bulk Floquet eigenvalues have extrema. For the case of zero surface momentum, we can analytically derive interesting scaling relations between the decay lengths of the surface states and the amplitude and penetration depth of the radiation. For topological insulators, we again find that circularly polarized radiation can generate states on the surfaces; these states have much larger decay lengths (which can be tuned by the radiation amplitude) than the topological surface states which are present even in the absence of radiation. Finally, we show that radiation can generate surface states even for trivial insulators.