Second-Chern Bounds in Non-Abelian Quantum Geometry

Abstract

We study the quantum geometry of doubly degenerate energy levels in a four-dimensional parameter space. We find that the scalar quantum metric $g$ and the Berry curvature $F$ obey $(\operatorname{tr} g)^2/16\geq\sqrt{\det g}\geq |2\Tr(F\wedge F)-\Tr F\wedge \Tr F|/24$. The first inequality characterizes the anisotropy in the metric. The second determinant inequality measures the self-duality of the traceless $SU(2)$ part of the curvature under Hodge star operation and the algebraic closedness of the inter-level polarization amplitudes under $SU(2)$ rotations in the doubly degenerate levels. The saturation of the determinant bound imposes a quaternionic Cauchy-Riemann equation, analogous to the complex analyticity imposed by ideal-band conditions in two-dimensional Chern insulators. As examples, four-band Dirac Hamiltonians automatically saturate the determinant bound and possess a topological zero in $\operatorname{tr}(F\wedge F)$. We compare the differences between Kramers degeneracy and ordinary $U(2)$ degeneracy. In addition to the non-Abelian geometric bound, the latter also obeys an independent first-Chern bound.