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That’s a culture difference issue. A topological insulator is a kind of material with specific properties (heavily simplified, that its inside is an electric in
by kergonath 3y ago
That’s a culture difference issue. A topological insulator is a kind of material with specific properties (heavily simplified, that its inside is an electric insulator and its surface is an electric conductor). That’s where the topological aspect comes from. It has nothing to do with topology in mathematics except the name.
- staunton 3y ago> It has nothing to do with topology in mathematics except the name. Well, the description of a topological insulator does use a tiny bit of topology.
- gmadsen 3y agothat is simply not true. They are classified by their topological invariants, which affects their properties.
- civilitty 3y agoThe topological aspect, very much in the mathematical sense, is that the insulator maintains those properties even when deformed. So when you cut a topological insulator in half to expose the non-conducting inside, that exposed surface becomes conducting again.
- MikePlacid 3y agoThat makes me confused even more. Isn’t cutting a non - continuous deformation, that breaks topology?