Localization trajectory and Chern-Simons axion coupling for bilayer quantum anomalous Hall systems

Abstract

Quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) multilayers provide a platform of topological materials with high Chern numbers. We investigate the localization routes of bilayer QAH systems with Chern number C = 2 under strong disorder, by numerical simulations on their quantum transport properties and the Chern-Simons axion coupling. Compared to the single layer counterpart with C = 2, the localization trajectories present much richer behaviors, for example, the existence of the stable intermediate state with C = 1 can be tuned by model parameters. This state was always unstable in the single layer case. Furthermore, the two parameter scaling trajectories also exhibit multiple patterns, some of which were not captured by the standard Pruisken picture. During the process towards localization, the Chern-Simons axion coupling shows a surprisingly remarkable peak which is even higher and sharper in the large size limit. Therefore the disordered bilayer QAH system can be a good candidate for this nontrivial magnetoelectric coupling mediated by orbital motions.