Observation of phononic helical edge states in a mechanical topological insulator

Designing mechanical complexity

The quantum properties of topological insulators translate to mechanical systems governed by Newton's equations of motion. Many-body interactions and the multiple degrees of freedom available to charge carriers give electronic systems a range of exotic behaviors. Süsstrunk and Huber show that this extends to mechanical systems made up of a large lattice of coupled pendula. Mechanical excitations can be eliminated from the inner part of the lattice and confined to the edges, much like topological insulators. In addition to presenting a tractable toy system in which to study complex phenomena, the approach has potential uses in vibration isolation.

Science , this issue p. 47