Chapter 3 - Nonlinear topological photonics

Abstract

The recent discovery of topological insulators had a remarkable impact on several fields of natural science, including condensed matter physics, optics, acoustics, and elastic waves. In the general context of optics, topological photonics is the discipline concerned with the investigation of the optical characteristics of topological insulators. Due to its remarkable, unusual features, including the robustness of wave dynamics against disorder and defects, topological photonics has attracted significant research efforts at fundamental science level and also spurred a broad range of important applications. Despite the fact that the main research efforts in this field were focused mostly on topics pertaining to linear topological photonic systems, in recent years we have witnessed a series of key advancements in nonlinear topological photonics.