Pattern-tunable synthetic gauge fields in topological photonic graphene
Huang Zhen-Ting,
Hong Kuo-Bin,
Lee Ray-Kuang,
Pilozzi Laura,
Conti Claudio,
Wu Jhih-Sheng,
Lu Tien-Chang
Affiliations
Huang Zhen-Ting
Department of Photonics and Institute of Electro-Optical Engineering, College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu30050, Taiwan, ROC
Hong Kuo-Bin
Department of Photonics and Institute of Electro-Optical Engineering, College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu30050, Taiwan, ROC
Lee Ray-Kuang
Institute of Photonics Technologies, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu30013, Taiwan, ROC
Pilozzi Laura
Institute for Complex Systems, National Research Council (ISC-CNR), Via dei Taurini 19, 00185Rome, Italy
Conti Claudio
Research Center Enrico Fermi, Via Panisperna 89a, 00184Rome, Italy
Wu Jhih-Sheng
Department of Photonics and Institute of Electro-Optical Engineering, College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu30050, Taiwan, ROC
Lu Tien-Chang
Department of Photonics and Institute of Electro-Optical Engineering, College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu30050, Taiwan, ROC
We propose a straightforward and effective approach to design, by pattern-tunable strain-engineering, photonic topological insulators supporting high quality factors edge states. Chiral strain-engineering creates opposite synthetic gauge fields in two domains resulting in Landau levels with the same energy spacing but different topological numbers. The boundary of the two topological domains hosts robust time-reversal and spin-momentum-locked edge states, exhibiting high quality factors due to continuous strain modulation. By shaping the synthetic gauge field, we obtain remarkable field confinement and tunability, with the strain strongly affecting the degree of localization of the edge states. Notably, the two-domain design stabilizes the strain-induced topological edge state. The large potential bandwidth of the strain-engineering and the opportunity to induce the mechanical stress at the fabrication stage enables large scalability for many potential applications in photonics, such as tunable microcavities, new lasers, and information processing devices, including the quantum regime.
