title: Fractional lattice charge transport.
abstract: We consider the dynamics of noninteracting quantum particles on a square lattice in the presence of a magnetic flux α and a dc electric field E oriented along the lattice diagonal. In general, the adiabatic dynamics will be characterized by Bloch oscillations in the electrical field direction and dispersive ballistic transport in the perpendicular direction. For rational values of α and a corresponding discrete set of values of E(α) vanishing gaps in the spectrum induce a fractionalization of the charge in the perpendicular direction - while left movers are still performing dispersive ballistic transport, the complementary fraction of right movers is propagating in a dispersionless relativistic manner in the opposite direction. Generalizations and the possible probing of the effect with atomic Bose-Einstein condensates and photonic networks are discussed. Zak phase of respective band associated with gap closing regime has been computed and it is found converging to π/2 value.
authors.affiliation: Center for Theoretical Physics of Complex Systems, Institute for Basic Science, 34051 Daejeon, South Korea.|New Zealand Institute for Advanced Study, Center for Theoretical Chemistry &Physics, Massey University, 102904 Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Sergej
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Flach
authors.affiliation: Center for Theoretical Physics of Complex Systems, Institute for Basic Science, 34051 Daejeon, South Korea.|Physics Department, Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, 0128 Tbilisi, Georgia.
authors.forename: Ramaz
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khomeriki