Topological edge states in Rashba-Dresselhaus spin-orbit-coupled atoms in a Zeeman lattice

We address the impact of spin-orbit coupling on the existence and properties of topological edge states of cold neutral atoms and Bose-Einstein condensates loaded in honeycomb Zeeman lattices—lattices where the spinor components are placed in potentials having opposite signs. We find that the type of spin-orbit-coupling mechanism has profound effect on the emergence of topological edge states. We also reveal that edge states persist when interatomic interactions are present and that they become metastable in Bose-Einstein condensates.