Phase-Space Topology in a Single-Atom Synthetic Dimension

Abstract: We investigate topological features in the synthetic Fock-state lattice of a single-atom system described by the quantum Rabi model. By diagonalizing the Hamiltonian, we identify a zero-energy defect state localized at a domain wall of the synthetic lattice, whose spin polarization is topologically protected. To address the challenge of applying band topology to the Fock-state lattice, we introduce a topological invariant based on phase-space geometry-the phase-space winding number. We show that the Zak phase, representing the geometric phase difference between two sublattices, can also be computed using a phase-space parameter and corresponds directly to the phase-space winding number. This quantized geometric phase reflects the spin polarization of the defect state, demonstrating a bulk-boundary correspondence. The resulting phase-space topology reveals the emergence of single-atom dressed states with contrasting properties-topologically protected fermionic states and driving-tunable bosonic states. Our results establish phase-space topology as a novel framework for exploring topological physics in single-atom synthetic dimensions, uncovering quantum-unique topological protection distinct from classical analogs.