Strain-Programmable Interior Topological Channels
Abstract
Topological channels are typically pinned to physical edges or heterogeneous interfaces. Physical edges expose the channels to localized disorder, whereas interface-based designs generally involve material or structural discontinuities. These constraints limit geometric tunability and can compromise microscopic transport quality. Here we show that smooth strain can program topological channels within a single-component homogeneous lattice through a mechanically constrained inverse-design framework. A strain-dependent Dirac mass provides a direct geometric control principle: its zero contour defines the channel path, the contour-crossing topological mismatch fixes the net chirality, and the normal mass gradient sets the confinement width following an inverse-square-root scaling law. Unlike conventional pinned channels, these strain-engineered interior channels permit continuous control over channel geometry and confinement. We demonstrate the approach in a strained Haldane model, realizing straight channels at prescribed orientations, designed curved paths, and multichannel networks associated with higher-Chern-number phases. The resulting channels exhibit quantized transmission and spatial decoupling from boundary-localized disorder, establishing strain as a mechanical design field for programmable interior topological transport.
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BibTeX
@misc{xia2026strainprogrammable,
title = {{Strain-Programmable Interior Topological Channels}},
author = {Jiawei Xia and Shuze Zhu},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2607.25809},
eprint = {2607.25809},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.25809},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Strain-Programmable Interior Topological Channels
AU - Jiawei Xia
AU - Shuze Zhu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/05
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2607.25809
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.25809
AB - Topological channels are typically pinned to physical edges or heterogeneous interfaces. Physical edges expose the channels to localized disorder, whereas interface-based designs generally involve material or structural discontinuities. These constraints limit geometric tunability and can compromise microscopic transport quality. Here we show that smooth strain can program topological channels within a single-component homogeneous lattice through a mechanically constrained inverse-design framework. A strain-dependent Dirac mass provides a direct geometric control principle: its zero contour defines the channel path, the contour-crossing topological mismatch fixes the net chirality, and the normal mass gradient sets the confinement width following an inverse-square-root scaling law. Unlike conventional pinned channels, these strain-engineered interior channels permit continuous control over channel geometry and confinement. We demonstrate the approach in a strained Haldane model, realizing straight channels at prescribed orientations, designed curved paths, and multichannel networks associated with higher-Chern-number phases. The resulting channels exhibit quantized transmission and spatial decoupling from boundary-localized disorder, establishing strain as a mechanical design field for programmable interior topological transport.
ER -