South China Normal Team Achieves Thouless Pumping Via Discrete Steps

Thouless pumping, a celebrated topological effect enabling quantized particle transport with potential applications in quantum technologies, has been investigated by South China Normal University. Standard adiabatic pumping theory dictates that the Hamiltonian must be varied continuously and slowly throughout the entire pumping process. The investigation shows that Thouless pumping can be realised using discrete sampling of the Hamiltonian, thus removing the traditional requirement for continuous and gradual control changes. Researchers specifically selected particular parameter points within the Hamiltonian to enable conventional continuous quantum adiabatic evolution. This removes constraints previously considered essential regarding the rate of…