Analytic solution of the n-dimensional Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model

The Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model is fundamental in topological insulators and relevant to understanding higher-order topological phases. This study explores the relationship between the n-dimensional SSH model and its (n-1)-dimensional counterpart, identifying a hierarchical structure in the Hamiltonian that allows us to solve an arbitrary n-dimensional SSH model analytically. By generalizing the bulk-edge correspondence principle to arbitrary dimensions in a higher-order fashion using the vectored Zak phase, we reveal a type of topological insulator called hierarchical topological insulators. In this hierarchical topological insulator, there exist intermediate-order topological interfacial states that are protected by subsymmetry and energy band topology in a partial Brillouin zone. Furthermore, we compare the n-dimensional SSH model with the Benalcazar-Bernevig-Hughes (BBH) model, another essential model in higher-order topological phases similar to the two-dimensional SSH model with an extra flux of π in each plaque. We find that the BBH model is another example of hierarchical topological insulators.