Sensitivity of topological edge states in a non-Hermitian dimer chain

Abstract

Photonic topological edge states in one-dimensional dimer chains have long been thought to be robust to structural perturbations by mapping the topological Su–Schrieffer–Heeger model of a solid-state system. However, the edge states at the two ends of a finite topological dimer chain will interact as a result of near-field coupling. This leads to deviation from topological protection by the chiral symmetry from the exact zero energy, weakening the robustness of the topological edge state. With the aid of non-Hermitian physics, the splitting frequencies of edge states can be degenerated again, with topological protection recovered by altering the gain or loss strength of the structure. This point of coalescence is known as the exceptional point (EP). The intriguing physical properties of EPs in topological structures give rise to many fascinating and counterintuitive phenomena. In this work, based on a finite non-Hermitian dimer chain composed of ultra-subwavelength resonators, we propose theoretically and verify experimentally that the sensitivity of topological edge states is greatly affected when the system passes through the EP. Using the EP of a non-Hermitian dimer chain, we realize a new sensor that is sensitive to perturbation of on-site frequency at the end of the structure and yet topologically protected from internal perturbation of site-to-site couplings. Our demonstration of a non-Hermitian topological structure with an EP paves the way for the development of novel sensors that are not sensitive to internal manufacturing errors but are highly sensitive to changes in the external environment.