Abstract
The exceptional point (EP), which is one of the most important branch-type singularities exclusive to non-Hermitian systems, has been observed recently in various synthetic materials, giving rise to counterintuitive phenomena due to the nontrivial topology of the EP. Here, we present a direct experimental observation of the topological structure of the EPs via the angle-resolved transmission measurement of a hybridized metamaterial. Both eigenvalues and eigenvectors show branch-point singularities in the investigated biparametric space of frequency and incident angle. Importantly, the angle-resolved transmission coefficients provide all the information about the eigenvalues as well as the corresponding eigenvectors in the biparametric space, revealing the nontrivial topological structure of the EP, such as mode switching and the topological phase for a parameter loop encircling the EP. It is shown that the appearance of the EP in the scattering matrix is related directly to the perfect unidirectional transmission and the chirality of the EP corresponds to the maximum or minimum value of the asymmetric factor. Our investigation uncovers the capabilities of metamaterials for exploring the physics of EPs and their potential for having extreme optical properties, which provide potential applications in the spectral band ranging from microwaves to visible frequencies.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.