Two-dimensional higher-order topological metals

Abstract

We investigate the energy band structure and energy levels of graphene with staggered intrinsic spin-orbit coupling and in-plane Zeeman fields. Our study demonstrates that staggered intrinsic spin-orbit coupling induces bulk band crossover at the 𝐾 and 𝐾′ valleys and generates antihelical edge states at the zigzag boundaries, resulting in topological metallic phases. Quantized transport coefficients confirm the existence of these antihelical edge states. Furthermore, an in-plane Zeeman field, regardless of orientation, opens a gap in the antihelical edge states while preserving bulk band closure, leading to higher-order topological metals with corner states. We also validate the presence of these corner states in nanoflakes with zigzag boundaries and confirm the metallic phases with crossed bands through a continuum low-energy model analysis.