Edge Solitons of Topological Insulators and Fractionalized Quasiparticles in Two Dimensions

An important characteristic of topological band insulators is the necessary presence of in-gap edge states on the sample boundary. We utilize this fact to show that when the boundary is reconnected with a twist, there are always zero-energy defect states. This provides a natural connection among novel defects in the two-dimensional p{x}+ip{y} superconductor, the Kitaev model, the fractional quantum Hall effect, and the one-dimensional domain wall of polyacetylene.