The geometry of (non-Abelian) Landau levels

The purpose of this paper is threefold: First of all the topological aspects of the Landau Hamiltonian are reviewed in the light of (and with the jargon of) the theory of topological insulators. In particular it is shown that the Landau Hamiltonian has a generalized even time-reversal symmetry (TRS). Secondly, a new tool for the computation of the topological numbers associated with each Landau level is introduced by combining the Dixmier trace and the (resolvent of the) harmonic oscillator. Finally, these results are extended to models with non-Abelian magnetic fields. Two models are investigated in details: the Jaynes–Cummings model and the “Quaternionic” model.