nLab edge mode

Idea

In solid state physics, edge modes are excitations (of electrons or quasi-particles) seen at the boundary or at a corner of a crystalline materials, where the dynamics may be different from that in the crystal’s bulk.

A notable example are edge modes of topological insulators: As their name suggests, these topological phases of matter are in fact insulating in their bulk, but on their boundary they behave like conductors/metals, due to “edge modes” which may carry electric current.

References

For the moment see any of the main references at topological insulator.

Otherwise, there is also:

• Lukasz Fidkowski, T. S. Jackson, Israel Klich, Edge modes in band topological insulators $[$arXiv:1101.0320$]$

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