Hybrid Higher-Order Skin Topological Modes in the Two-Dimensional Su-Schrieffer-Heeger Model with Nonreciprocal Hoppings

Abstract: The coexistence of edge states and skin effects provides the topologically protected localized states at the corners of two-dimensional systems. In this paper, we realize such corner states in the two-dimensional Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model with the nonreciprocal hoppings. For the characterization of the real line gap topology, we introduce the $\mathbb{Z}_4$ Berry phase protected by generalized four-fold rotational symmetry. From the physical picture of the adiabatic connection, we find that the value of the $\mathbb{Z}_4$ Berry phase predicts the position of edge states. Additionally, by using the winding number, we characterize the point gap topology of the edge spectra. From the results of these characterizations by the first-order topological invariants, we find that the pair of values of the $\mathbb{Z}_4$ Berry phase and the winding number yields the position of the topologically protected localized states.