Generalized Aubry–André–Harper Models in Optical Superlattices

Abstract

Ultracold atoms trapped in optical superlattices provide a simple platform for realizing the seminal Aubry–André–Harper (AAH) model. However, this model ignores the periodic modulations on the nearest-neighbor hoppings. We establish a generalized AAH model by which an optical superlattice system can be approximately described when V 1 ≫ V 2, with periodic modulations on both on-site energies and nearest-neighbor hoppings. This model supports much richer topological properties absent in the standard AAH model. Specifically, by calculating the Chern numbers and topological edge states, we show that the generalized AAH model possesses multifarious topological phases and topological phase transitions, unlike the standard AAH model supporting only a single topological phase. Our findings can uncover more opportunities for using optical superlattices to study topological and localization physics.