Three-dimensional photonic topological insulator without spin-orbit coupling.

ABSTRACT: Spin-orbit coupling, a fundamental mechanism underlying topological insulators, has been introduced to construct the latter's photonic analogs, or photonic topological insulators (PTIs). However, the intrinsic lack of electronic spin in photonic systems leads to various imperfections in emulating the behaviors of topological insulators. For example, in the recently demonstrated three-dimensional (3D) PTI, the topological surface states emerge, not on the surface of a single crystal as in a 3D topological insulator, but along an internal domain wall between two PTIs. Here, by fully abolishing spin-orbit coupling, we design and demonstrate a 3D PTI whose topological surface states are self-guided on its surface, without extra confinement by another PTI or any other cladding. The topological

SUBMITTER: Kim M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9205999 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature