Self-induced topological edge states in a lattice with onsite nonlinearity

Abstract: Topological edge states typically arise at the boundaries of topologically nontrivial structures or at interfaces between regions with differing topological invariants. When topological systems are extended into the nonlinear regime, linear topological edge states bifurcate into nonlinear counterparts, and topological gap solitons emerge in the bulk of the structures. Despite extensive studies of these two types of nonlinear states, self-induced topological edge states localized at the physical boundaries of originally nontopological structures remain underexplored. Unlike the previously reported self-induced topological transitions driven by nonlinear couplings, which are conceptually straightforward but less common in realistic interacting systems, here we experimentally realize self-induced topological edge states in a lattice with onsite nonlinearity. Leveraging the strong and tunable nonlinearity of electrical circuits, we systematically investigate the localized states in a nonlinear Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model. Besides revisiting the nonlinear topological edge states and topological gap solitons, we uncover a novel type of self-induced topological edge states which exhibit the hallmark features of linear topological edge states, including sublattice polarization, phase jumps, and decaying tails that approach zero. A distinctive feature of these states is the boundary-induced power threshold for existence. Our results are broadly applicable and can be readily extended to photonic and cold atomic systems, where onsite nonlinearities naturally arise from interparticle interactions. Our work unveils new opportunities for exploring novel correlated topological states of light and matter, and paves the way for the development of robust photonic devices and topological quantum computation.