No Arabic abstract
We establish experimentally a photonic super-honeycomb lattice (sHCL) by use of a cw-laser writing technique, and thereby demonstrate two distinct flatband line states that manifest as noncontractible-loop-states in an infinite flatband lattice. These localized states (straight and zigzag lines) observed in the sHCL with tailored boundaries cannot be obtained by superposition of conventional compact localized states because they represent a new topological entity in flatband systems. In fact, the zigzag-line states, unique to the sHCL, are in contradistinction with those previously observed in the Kagome and Lieb lattices. Their momentum-space spectrum emerges in the high-order Brillouin zone where the flat band touches the dispersive bands, revealing the characteristic of topologically protected bandcrossing. Our experimental results are corroborated by numerical simulations based on the coupled mode theory. This work may provide insight to Dirac like 2D materials beyond graphene.
We realize fractal-like photonic lattices using cw-laser-writing technique, thereby observe distinct compact localized states (CLSs) associated with different flatbands in the same lattice setting. Such triangle-shaped lattices, akin to the first generation Sierpinski lattices, possess a band structure where singular non-degenerate and nonsingular degenerate flatbands coexist. By proper phase modulation of an input excitation beam, we demonstrate experimentally not only the simplest CLSs but also their superimposition into other complex mode structures. Furthermore, we show by numerical simulation a dynamical oscillation of the flatband states due to beating of the CLSs that have different eigenenergies. These results may provide inspiration for exploring fundamental phenomena arising from fractal structure, flatband singularity, and real-space topology.
We experimentally study a Stub photonic lattice and excite their localized linear states originated from an isolated Flat Band at the center of the linear spectrum. By exciting these modes in different regions of the lattice, we observe that they do not diffract across the system and remain well trapped after propagating along the crystal. By using their wave nature, we are able to combine -- in phase and out of phase -- two neighbor states into a coherent superposition. These observations allow us to propose a novel setup for performing three different all-optical logical operations such as OR, AND, and XOR, positioning Flat Band systems as key setups to perform concrete applications at any level of power.
We clarify theoretically that the topological ring-cavity (TRC) modes propagating along the interface between two honeycomb-type photonic crystals distinct in topology can be exploited for achieving stable single-mode lasing, with the maximal intensity larger than a whispering-gallery-mode counterpart by order of magnitude. Especially, we show that the TRC modes located at the bulk bandgap center benefit maximally from the gain profile since they are most concentrated and uniform along the ring cavity, and that, inheriting from the Dirac-like dispersion of topological interface states, they are separated in frequency from each other and from other photonic modes, both favoring intrinsically single-mode lasing. A TRC mode running in a specific direction with desired orbital angular momentum can be stimulated selectively by injecting circularly polarized light. The TRC laser proposed in the present work can be fabricated by means of advanced semiconductor nanotechnologies, which generates chiral laser beams ideal for novel photonic functions.
Inspired by recent advances in atomic homo and heterostructures, we consider the vertical stacking of plasmonic lattices as a new degree of freedom to create a coupled system showing a modified optical response concerning the monolayer. The precise design of the stacking and the geometrical parameters of two honeycomb plasmonic lattices tailors the interaction among their metallic nanoparticles. Based on the similarity of the lattice symmetry, analogies can be drawn with stacked atomic crystals, such as graphene. We use the multipolar spectral representation to study the plasmonic vertical stacks optical response in the near-field regime, emphasizing symmetry properties. The strong coupling of certain optical bands shows up as anticrossings in the dispersion diagram, resulting in the polarization exchange of the interacting bands. By leveraging these effects, we engineer the near-field intensity distribution. Additionally, lifting band degeneracy at specific points of the Brillouin zone is obtained with the consequent opening of minigaps. These effects are understood by quantifying the multipolar coupling among nanospheres belonging to the same and different sublattices, as well as the interlayer and intralayer nanoparticle interactions. Differences with the atomic case are also analyzed and explained in terms of the stacks interaction matrix. Finally, we predict the absorption spectrum projected on the two orthogonal linear polarizations.
Topological invariants characterising filled Bloch bands attract enormous interest, underpinning electronic topological insulators and analogous artificial lattices for Bose-Einstein condensates, photons, and acoustic waves. In the latter bosonic systems there is no Fermi exclusion principle to enforce uniform band filling, which makes measurement of their bulk topological invariants challenging. Here we show how to achieve controllable filling of bosonic bands using leaky photonic lattices. Leaky photonic lattices host transitions between bound and radiative modes at a critical energy, which plays a role analogous to the electronic Fermi level. Tuning this effective Fermi level into a band gap results in disorder-robust dynamical quantization of bulk topological invariants such as the Chern number. Our findings establish leaky lattices as a novel and highly flexible platform for exploring topological and non-Hermitian wave physics.