Photonic topological insulator with broken time-reversal symmetry.

ABSTRACT: A topological insulator is a material with an insulating interior but time-reversal symmetry-protected conducting edge states. Since its prediction and discovery almost a decade ago, such a symmetry-protected topological phase has been explored beyond electronic systems in the realm of photonics. Electrons are spin-1/2 particles, whereas photons are spin-1 particles. The distinct spin difference between these two kinds of particles means that their corresponding symmetry is fundamentally different. It is well understood that an electronic topological insulator is protected by the electron's spin-1/2 (fermionic) time-reversal symmetry [Formula: see text] However, the same protection does not exist under normal circumstances for a photonic topological insulator, due to photon's spin-1 (boson

SUBMITTER: He C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4983855 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature