Symmetry-induced quasicrystalline waveguides

Abstract

Introducing an axis of reflection symmetry in a quasicrystal leads to the creation of localised edge modes that can be used to build waveguides. We develop theory that characterises reflection-induced localised modes in materials that are formed by recursive tiling rules. This general theory treats a one-dimensional continuous differential model and describes a broad class of both quasicrystalline and periodic materials. We present an analysis of a material based on the Fibonacci sequence, which has previously been shown to have exotic, Cantor-like spectra with very wide spectral gaps. Our approach provides a way to create localised edge modes at frequencies within these spectral gaps, giving strong and stable wave localisation. We also use our general framework to make a comparison with reflection-induced modes in periodic materials. These comparisons show that while quasicrystalline waveguides enjoy enhanced robustness over periodic materials in certain settings, the benefits are less clear if the decay rates are matched. This shows the need to carefully consider equivalent structures when making robustness comparisons and to draw conclusions on a case-by-case basis, depending on the specific application.