Viscous Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory for topological electromagnetic phases of matter

Abstract: We present the fundamental model of a topological electromagnetic phase of matter: viscous Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory. Our model applies to a quantum Hall fluids with viscosity. We solve both continuum and lattice regularized systems to demonstrate that this is the minimal (exactly solvable) gauge theory with a nontrivial photonic Chern number ($C\neq 0$) for electromagnetic waves coupled to a quantum Hall fluid. The interplay of symmetry and topology is also captured by the spin-1 representations of a photonic skyrmion at high-symmetry points in the Brillouin zone. To rigorously analyze the topological physics, we introduce the viscous Maxwell-Chern-Simons Lagrangian and derive the equations of motion, as well as the boundary conditions, from the principle of least action. We discover topologically-protected chiral (unidirectional) edge states which minimize the surface variation and correspond to massless photonic excitations costing an infinitesimal amount of energy. Physically, our predicted electromagnetic phases are connected to a dynamical photonic mass in the integer quantum Hall fluid. This arises from viscous (nonlocal) Hall conductivity and we identify the nonlocal Chern-Simons coupling with the Hall viscosity. The electromagnetic phase is topologically nontrivial $C\neq 0$ when the Hall viscosity inhibits the total bulk Hall response. Our work bridges the gap between electromagnetic and condensed matter topological physics while also demonstrating the central role of spin-1 quantization in nontrivial photonic phases.