Topological Photonics Research Articles

Metastability of photonic spin meron lattices in the presence of perturbed spin-orbit coupling.

Photonic skyrmions and merons are topological quasiparticles characterized by nontrivial electromagnetic textures, which have received increasing research attention recently, providing novel degree of freedom to manipulate light-matter interactions and exhibiting excellent potential in deep-subwavelength imaging and nanometrology. Here, the topological stability of photonic spin meron lattices, which indicates the invariance of skyrmion number and robustness of spin texture under a continuous deformation of the field configuration, is demonstrated by inducing a perturbation to break the C4 symmetry in the presence spin-orbit coupling in an optical field. We revealed that amplitude perturbation would result in an amplitude-dependent shift of spin center, while phase perturbation leads to the deformation of domain walls, manifesting the metastability of photonic meron. Such spin topology is verified through the interference of plasmonic vortices with a broken rotational symmetry. The results provide new insights on optical topological quasiparticles, which may pave the way towards applications in topological photonics, optical information storage and transfer.

Dynamics of diverse polarization singularities in momentum space with far-field interference

Polarization singularities in momentum space, including bound states in the continuum (BICs) and circularly polarized states (CPSs), render great potential in singular and chiral optics. As far-field topological signatures of Bloch modes in photonic crystal slab, the dynamic evolution of the polarization singularities is observed by tuning the geometric parameters of the slab itself. Here, we combine the photonic crystal slab with a reflected multilayer substrate in which interference between the reflected optical field and the upward radiation of the Bloch mode brings us an extra degree of freedom to manipulate the polarization singularities without breaking the structural symmetry. As the polarization singularities evolve with the spacing between the photonic crystal slab and the substrate, the CPSs and extrinsic BICs are both generated from charge reversal of the at-\ensuremath{\Gamma} intrinsic BIC and then collide with the off-\ensuremath{\Gamma} intrinsic BICs. Importantly, all BICs are topologically protected from splitting throughout the whole dynamic process owing to the preservation of structural symmetry. Our findings suggest an alternative route to pursue ultrahigh-$Q$ CPS resonances and merge diverse BICs, which is potentially applicable in chiral optics, topological photonics, and beam modulation.

Coexistence of quantum spin and valley hall effect in two-dimensional dielectric photonic crystals

The location and transmission of light is the core of modern photonic integrated device, and the proposal of topological photonics provides a new way of implementing optical manipulation. Topological photonic structures based on the quantum spin hall effect or quantum valley hall effect have the properties of immunity to defects and suppress backscattering, so they play a key role in designing novel low-loss photonic devices. In this work, we design a two-dimensional dielectric photonic crystal with time-reversal symmetry to achieve the coexistence of the quantum spin hall effect and the quantum valley hall effect in a photonic crystal. The design can be likened to an electronic system in which two pairs of Kramers simplex pairs are constructed to achieve a quadruple simplex pair in a photonic crystal. First, based on the method of shrinking and expanding the silicon pillars arranged in the honeycomb structure, the quadruple degeneracy point at the <i>Γ</i> point of the first Brillouin zone is opened, and the corresponding topologically trivial or non-trivial photonic band gap is formed,thereby realizing quantum spin hall effect. The expanded honeycomb lattice evolves into a Kagome structure, and then positive and negative perturbations are added to the Kagome lattice, breaking the spatial inversion symmetry of the Photonic crystal. When mirror symmetry is broken, different chiral photonic crystals can be created,leading the degeneracy point of the non-equivalent valleys <i>K</i> and <i>K'</i> in the Brillouin zone to be opened and a complete band gap to appear, thus realizing the Quantum valley hall effect. In the common band gap, topologically protected edge states are induced by nontrivial valley Chern number at the interface between two photonic crystals with opposite chirality. The numerical calculations show that unidirectional transport and bending-immune topological boundary states can be realized at the interface composed of topologically trivial (non-trivial) and positively (negatively) perturbed photonic crystals. Finally, a four-channel system based on the coexistence of the two effects is designed, The system is a novel electromagnetic wave router that can be selectively controlled by pseudospin degree of freedom or valley degree of freedom. This system provides a potential method for realizing the optical encoding and robust signal transmission, thereby providing greater flexibility for manipulating electromagnetic waves.

Inhibition of double excitation and strong quantum entanglement via engineered cavity interactions

We propose a method for realizing the inhibition of simultaneous excitation of two identical qubits in a single-mode cavity QED system, where two qubits are driven by a coherent field and coupled to a cavity with engineered qubit-cavity interactions. By suitably chosen placements of the qubits in the cavity and by adjusting the relative decay strengths of the qubits and cavity field, we close many unwanted excitation pathways. This leads to an inhibition of the doubly excited state. In addition, we show that these two qubits are strongly entangled over a broad regime of the system parameters. We show that a strong signature of nonexcitation of the doubly excited state is the bunching property of the cavity photons, which thus provides a possible measurement of this nonexcitation. We also present dynamical features of the inhibition of simultaneous excitation of two qubits. The proposal presented in this paper can be realized not only in traditional cavity QED, but also in noncavity topological photonics involving edge modes.

Enhanced valley topological defect-edge states in all-dielectric photonic crystal

The valley topological edge states (VTESs) have become a new research hotspot in topological photonics because of its flexibility and diversity. The major challenge for them comes from the limit bandwidth, the weak energy of localized field and the weak ability of direction-locked. In this paper, through the design of a triangular lattice with a compound unit cell, it is demonstrated that with the coupling of the VTESs and the defect states, some new hybrid VTESs called valley topological defect-edge states (VTDESs) occur and their performance can be greatly enhanced. Through enlarging the interval between the two lattices with opposite valley topological phases, the VTDESs absorb both the topological properties of the pure VTESs, and the properties of intense field and wide bandwidth of the defect states. The VTDESs have larger bandwidth, more intense transmission energy and the ideal ability of direction-locked. The robust transmission property against the structure obstacle has been demonstrated for the VTDESs.

Topological Photonic States in Waveguide Arrays

AbstractTopological photonics, accompanied by the ability to manipulate light, has emerged as a rapidly growing field of research. More platforms for displaying novel topological photonic states are being explored, thus offering efficient strategies for the realization of robust photonic devices. Optical waveguide arrays, described as a (n+1)‐dimensional system, are ideal platforms for studying topological photonics because of the characteristic that can exhibit light dynamics. Here, this work reviews the experimental implementations of the various topological phases in the optical waveguide arrays, and specifically discusses novel physical phenomena arising from the combination of topology with non‐Hermitianity and nonlinearity. It is believed that topological waveguide arrays provide powerful support for enriching topological physics and promoting the development of topological photonic integrated devices.

Generation of vector vortex beams by axially symmetric sheared polymer network liquid crystals.

Liquid crystals have been widely used in optoelectronic devices because of their fast response and excellent electro-optic properties. Featuring a unique ability to manipulate light, they are also proposed as a good candidate in topological photonics for further applications. In this study, an axially symmetric sheared polymer network liquid crystal (ASPNLC) is fabricated to demonstrate vector vortex beams. Linearly and circularly polarized light is used to illuminate the sample, and the output vector vortex beams generated from the ASPNLC indicate that the polarization states of the output beams are dependent on the polarization of the incident light. The measured phenomena are modeled on the bases of phase retardation and Jones calculus to eventually calculate the polarization-resolved intensity profiles accordingly. Hence, our experimental study provides a holistic understanding of the method for generating vector vortex beams by an ASPNLC, which is expected to enhance the knowledge of optical mechanisms for liquid crystal applications.

Observing the quantum topology of light.

Topological photonics provides a powerful platform to explore topological physics beyond traditional electronic materials and shows promising applications in light transport and lasers. Classical degrees of freedom are routinely used to construct topological light modes in real or synthetic dimensions. Beyond the classical topology, the inherent quantum nature of light provides a wealth of fundamentally distinct topological states. Here we implement experiments on topological states of quantized light in a superconducting circuit, with which one- and two-dimensional Fock-state lattices are constructed. We realize rich topological physics including topological zero-energy states of the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model, strain-induced pseudo-Landau levels, valley Hall effect, and Haldane chiral edge currents. Our study extends the topological states of light to the quantum regime, bridging topological phases of condensed-matter physics with circuit quantum electrodynamics, and offers a freedom in controlling the quantum states of multiple resonators.

Extreme Optical Anisotropy in the Type-II Dirac Semimetal NiTe2 for Applications to Nanophotonics

Compared to artificial metamaterials, where nano-fabrication complexities and finite-size inclusions can hamper the desired electromagnetic response, several natural materials like van der Waals crystals hold great promise for designing efficient nanophotonic devices in the optical range. Here, we investigate the unusual optical response of NiTe$_2$, a van der Waals crystal and a type-II Dirac semimetal hosting Lorentz-violating Dirac fermions. By {\it ab~initio~} density functional theory modeling, we show that NiTe$_2$ harbors multiple topological photonic regimes for evanescent waves (such as surface plasmons) across the near-infrared and optical range. By electron energy-loss experiments, we identify surface plasmon resonances near the photonic topological transition points at the epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) frequencies $\approx 0.79$, $1.64$, and $2.22$ eV. Driven by the extreme crystal anisotropy and the presence of Lorentz-violating Dirac fermions, the experimental evidence of ENZ surface plasmon resonances confirm the non-trivial photonic and electronic topology of NiTe$_2$. Our study paves the way for realizing devices for light manipulation at the deep-subwavelength scales based on electronic and photonic topological physics for nanophotonics, optoelectronics, imaging, and biosensing applications.

Type-II Dirac points and topological Fermi arcs in nonlocal metamaterials

Dirac semimetals are topological materials with degenerated Dirac points in their band structures. In particular, the Dirac points play a central role in the topologically protected phases. Recently, it was reported that the peculiar type-II Dirac points could be realized in photonics by means of photonic crystals (PCs). Nevertheless, the practical implementation is rather challenging. In this paper, we demonstrate that the nonlocal effect in the interior of a homogeneous photonic metamaterial (HPM) enables the existence of type-II Dirac points in the HPM's band structure. With theoretical formulations and numerical evaluations, we discuss the evolution of the HPM's band type and present the interesting transition between type-I and type-II Dirac degeneracy of the HPMs. Remarkably, a pair of the type-II Dirac points can be generated at two different frequencies, which is supported by the mode overlapping in the HPMs with weak nonlocality. The Fermi arc surface states connect the projections of the type-II Dirac points at the boundary between the vacuum and HPMs. The topological protection of the Fermi arc surface states is verified by the reflectionless transmission with sharp corners. Our paper provides a fundamental understanding of topological photonics by type-II Dirac points in HPMs.

A brief review of topological photonics in one, two, and three dimensions

Topological photonics has attracted increasing attention in recent years due to the unique opportunities it provides to manipulate light in a robust way immune to disorder and defects. Up to now, diverse photonic platforms, rich physical mechanisms and fruitful device applications have been proposed for topological photonics, including one-way waveguide, topological lasing, topological nanocavity, Dirac and Weyl points, Fermi arcs, nodal lines, etc. In this review, we provide an introduction to the field of topological photonics through the lens of topological invariants and bulk-boundary correspondence in one, two, and three dimensions, which may not only offer a unified understanding about the underlying robustness of diverse and distinct topological phenomena of light, but could also inspire further developments by introducing new topological invariants and unconventional bulk-boundary correspondence to the research of topological photonics.

Angular-Dependent Klein Tunneling in Photonic Graphene.

The Klein paradox consists in the perfect tunneling of relativistic particles through high potential barriers. It is responsible for the exceptional conductive properties of graphene. It was recently studied in atomic condensates and topological photonics and phononics. While in theory the perfect tunneling holds only for normal incidence, so far the angular dependence of the Klein tunneling and its strong variation with the barrier height were not measured experimentally. In this Letter, we capitalize on the versatility of atomic vapor cells with paraxial beam propagation and index patterning by electromagnetically induced transparency. We report the first experimental observation of perfect Klein transmission in a 2D photonic system (photonic graphene) at normal incidence and measure the angular dependence. Counterintuitively, but in agreement with the Dirac equation, we observe that the decay of the Klein transmission versus angle is suppressed by increasing the barrier height, a key result for the conductivity of graphene and its analogs.

An image analysis method for quantifying precision and disorder in nanofabricated photonic structures

Disorder is an essential parameter in photonic systems and devices, influencing phenomena such as the robustness of topological photonic states and the Anderson localization of modes in waveguides. We develop and demonstrate a method for both analyzing and visualizing positional, size, and shape disorder in periodic structures such as photonic crystals. This analysis method shows selectivity for disorder type and sensitivity to disorder down to less than 1%. We show that the method can be applied to more complex shapes such as those used in topological photonics. The method provides a powerful tool for process development and quality control, including analyzing the precision of E-beam lithography before patterns are transferred; quantifying the precision limits of lithography, deposition, or etch processes; and studying the intentional displacement of individual objects within otherwise periodic arrays.

An operator-based approach to topological photonics

Abstract Recently, the study of topological structures in photonics has garnered significant interest, as these systems can realize robust, nonreciprocal chiral edge states and cavity-like confined states that have applications in both linear and nonlinear devices. However, current band theoretic approaches to understanding topology in photonic systems yield fundamental limitations on the classes of structures that can be studied. Here, we develop a theoretical framework for assessing a photonic structure’s topology directly from its effective Hamiltonian and position operators, as expressed in real space, and without the need to calculate the system’s Bloch eigenstates or band structure. Using this framework, we show that nontrivial topology, and associated boundary-localized chiral resonances, can manifest in photonic crystals with broken time-reversal symmetry that lack a complete band gap, a result that may have implications for new topological laser designs. Finally, we use our operator-based framework to develop a novel class of invariants for topology stemming from a system’s crystalline symmetries, which allows for the prediction of robust localized states for creating waveguides and cavities.

Nonreciprocal photon blockade in cavity optomagnonics

We study nonreciprocal photon blockade in cavity optomagnonics, where a sphere of ferromagnetic crystal supports two optical whispering-gallery modes and one magnon mode. The interaction in cavity optomagnonics is subject to the selection rules involving conservation of angular momentum and energy, and the selection rules introduce a nonreciprocal coupling between linearly polarized photons and magnons. For given incident linearly polarized photons, the photon blockade occurs when the cavity is driven in one direction, but it disappears if the cavity is driven in the opposite direction. The results suggest that cavity optomagnonics could be a promising platform for studying chiral quantum optics and topological photonics.

Topological photonics by breaking the degeneracy of line node singularities in semimetal-like photonic crystals.

Degeneracy is an omnipresent phenomenon in various physical systems, which has its roots in the preservation of geometrical symmetry. In electronic and photonic crystal systems, very often this degeneracy can be broken by virtue of strong interactions between photonic modes of the same energy, where the level repulsion and the hybridization between modes causes the emergence of photonic bandgaps. However, most often this phenomenon does not lead to a complete and inverted bandgap formation over the entire Brillouin zone. Here, by systematically breaking the symmetry of a two-dimensional square photonic crystal, we investigate the formation of Dirac points, line node singularities, and inverted bandgaps. The formation of this complete bandgap is due to the level repulsion between degenerate modes along the line nodes of a semimetal-like photonic crystal, over the entire Brillouin zone. Our numerical experiments are performed by a home-build numerical framework based on a multigrid finite element method. The developed numerical toolbox and our observations pave the way towards designing complete bandgap photonic crystals and exploring the role of symmetry on the optical behaviour of even more complicated orders in photonic crystal systems.

K-Space Hyperspectral Imaging by a Birefringent Common-Path Interferometer.

Fourier-plane microscopy is a powerful tool for measuring the angular optical response of a plethora of materials and photonic devices. Among them, optical microcavities feature distinctive energy-momentum dispersions, crucial for a broad range of fundamental studies and applications. However, measuring the whole momentum space (k-space) with sufficient spectral resolution using standard spectroscopic techniques is challenging, requiring long and alignment-sensitive scans. Here, we introduce a k-space hyperspectral microscope, which uses a common-path birefringent interferometer to image photoluminescent organic microcavities, obtaining an angle- and wavelength-resolved view of the samples in only one measurement. The exceptional combination of angular and spectral resolution of our technique allows us to reconstruct a three-dimensional (3D) map of the cavity dispersion in the energy-momentum space, revealing the polarization-dependent behavior of the resonant cavity modes. Furthermore, we apply our technique for the characterization of a dielectric nanodisk metasurface, evidencing the angular and spectral behavior of its anapole mode. This approach is able to provide a complete optical characterization for materials and devices with nontrivial angle-/wavelength-dependent properties, fundamental for future developments in the fields of topological photonics and optical metamaterials.

Mirror-induced reflection in the frequency domain

Mirrors are ubiquitous in optics and are used to control the propagation of optical signals in space. Here we propose and demonstrate frequency domain mirrors that provide reflections of the optical energy in a frequency synthetic dimension, using electro-optic modulation. First, we theoretically explore the concept of frequency mirrors with the investigation of propagation loss, and reflectivity in the frequency domain. Next, we explore the mirror formed through polarization mode-splitting in a thin-film lithium niobate micro-resonator. By exciting the Bloch waves of the synthetic frequency crystal with different wave vectors, we show various states formed by the interference between forward propagating and reflected waves. Finally, we expand on this idea, and generate tunable frequency mirrors as well as demonstrate trapped states formed by these mirrors using coupled lithium niobate micro-resonators. The ability to control the flow of light in the frequency domain could enable a wide range of applications, including the study of random walks, boson sampling, frequency comb sources, optical computation, and topological photonics. Furthermore, demonstration of optical elements such as cavities, lasers, and photonic crystals in the frequency domain, may be possible.

Parity‐Time Phase Transition of Topological Corner States in Square Lattice Photonic Crystal Structures

Marriage of the concepts of parity‐time (PT) symmetry and topology recently gave rise to PT‐symmetric topological photonics, triggering great interest in the community of photonics. This work reveals PT‐symmetric phase transition in second‐order topological photonic systems: the photonic systems consisting of square lattice topological photonic crystals with balanced gain and loss support the corner states, two of which are in thresholdless PT broken phase and the other two exhibit PT phase transition with a threshold determined by the coupling strength between the corner modes. The main advantage of the proposed photonic system is the significantly high gain contrast between the corner states and unnecessary background modes originating from bulk and edge ones, enabling diverse photonic applications such as nanolasing with significantly high power compared with the preceding topological nanolasers made of only gain sublattices. The results presented in this work pave the way toward potential applications such as biological sensing and spectroscopy at the nanoscale.

Tunable topological edge and corner states in an all-dielectric photonic crystal.

Topological photonics has become a new and fascinating area in recent years, which enables electromagnetic waves to propagate with negligible backscattering and excellent robustness even when encountering sharp corners or defects. But the flexible tunability of edge and corner states is challenging once the topological photonic crystals (PhCs) have been fabricated. In this paper, we propose a new all-dielectric PhC with C3 symmetry constructed by hexagonal array of petal-like aperture embedded in silicon background. The proposed configuration has much wider energy gap than its triangular counterpart, and hence is suitable for wideband and high-capacity applications. When the apertures are filled with liquid crystals (LCs), the topologically-protected edge and corner states can be regulated through changing the refractive index of the LCs under different bias voltages. Moreover, the robustness of topological protection of edge and corner states is further demonstrated. This is the first demonstration of LC based tunable valley higher-order photonic topological insulator. The tunability of the proposed topological PhCs may be beneficial for development of tunable optical waveguides, reconfigurable topological microcavities, and other intelligent topological optical/terahertz devices.