Slow light topological photonics with counter-propagating waves and its active control on a chip
Abstract Topological slow light exhibits potential to achieve stopped light by virtue of its widely known robust and non-reciprocal behaviours. Conventional approach for achieving topological slow light often involves flat-band engineering without disentangling the underlying physical mechanism. Her...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45175-5 |
| _version_ | 1797273890525806592 |
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| author | Abhishek Kumar Yi Ji Tan Nikhil Navaratna Manoj Gupta Prakash Pitchappa Ranjan Singh |
| author_facet | Abhishek Kumar Yi Ji Tan Nikhil Navaratna Manoj Gupta Prakash Pitchappa Ranjan Singh |
| author_sort | Abhishek Kumar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Topological slow light exhibits potential to achieve stopped light by virtue of its widely known robust and non-reciprocal behaviours. Conventional approach for achieving topological slow light often involves flat-band engineering without disentangling the underlying physical mechanism. Here, we unveil the presence of counter-propagating waves within valley kink states as the distinctive hallmark of the slow light topological photonic waveguides. These counter-propagating waves, supported by topological vortices along glide-symmetric interface, provide significant flexibility for controlling the slowness of light. We tune the group velocity of light by changing the spatial separation between vortices adjacent to the glide-symmetric interface. We also dynamically control the group delay by introducing a non-Hermitian defect using photoexcitation to adjust the relative strength of the counter-propagating waves. This study introduces active slow light topological photonic device on a silicon chip, opening new horizons for topological photon transport through defects, topological light-matter interactions, nonlinear topological photonics, and topological quantum photonics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:50:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-74d57cbda0e94403b9167a9d9db08acc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:50:36Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-74d57cbda0e94403b9167a9d9db08acc2024-03-05T19:41:56ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-01-011511910.1038/s41467-024-45175-5Slow light topological photonics with counter-propagating waves and its active control on a chipAbhishek Kumar0Yi Ji Tan1Nikhil Navaratna2Manoj Gupta3Prakash Pitchappa4Ranjan Singh5Division of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological UniversityDivision of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological UniversityDivision of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological UniversityDivision of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological UniversityInstitute of Microelectronics, Agency for Science, Technology and ResearchDivision of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological UniversityAbstract Topological slow light exhibits potential to achieve stopped light by virtue of its widely known robust and non-reciprocal behaviours. Conventional approach for achieving topological slow light often involves flat-band engineering without disentangling the underlying physical mechanism. Here, we unveil the presence of counter-propagating waves within valley kink states as the distinctive hallmark of the slow light topological photonic waveguides. These counter-propagating waves, supported by topological vortices along glide-symmetric interface, provide significant flexibility for controlling the slowness of light. We tune the group velocity of light by changing the spatial separation between vortices adjacent to the glide-symmetric interface. We also dynamically control the group delay by introducing a non-Hermitian defect using photoexcitation to adjust the relative strength of the counter-propagating waves. This study introduces active slow light topological photonic device on a silicon chip, opening new horizons for topological photon transport through defects, topological light-matter interactions, nonlinear topological photonics, and topological quantum photonics.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45175-5 |
| spellingShingle | Abhishek Kumar Yi Ji Tan Nikhil Navaratna Manoj Gupta Prakash Pitchappa Ranjan Singh Slow light topological photonics with counter-propagating waves and its active control on a chip Nature Communications |
| title | Slow light topological photonics with counter-propagating waves and its active control on a chip |
| title_full | Slow light topological photonics with counter-propagating waves and its active control on a chip |
| title_fullStr | Slow light topological photonics with counter-propagating waves and its active control on a chip |
| title_full_unstemmed | Slow light topological photonics with counter-propagating waves and its active control on a chip |
| title_short | Slow light topological photonics with counter-propagating waves and its active control on a chip |
| title_sort | slow light topological photonics with counter propagating waves and its active control on a chip |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45175-5 |
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