Symmetry-controlled edge states in the type-II phase of Dirac photonic lattices

Georgios G. Pyrialakos, Nora Schmitt, Nicholas S. Nye, Matthias Heinrich, Nikolaos V. Kantartzis, Alexander Szameit and Demetrios N. Christodoulides ()
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Georgios G. Pyrialakos: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Nora Schmitt: Institute of Physics, University of Rostock
Nicholas S. Nye: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Matthias Heinrich: Institute of Physics, University of Rostock
Nikolaos V. Kantartzis: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Alexander Szameit: Institute of Physics, University of Rostock
Demetrios N. Christodoulides: College of Optics & Photonics-CREOL, University of Central Florida

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract The exceptional properties exhibited by two-dimensional materials, such as graphene, are rooted in the underlying physics of the relativistic Dirac equation that describes the low energy excitations of such molecular systems. In this study, we explore a periodic lattice that provides access to the full solution spectrum of the extended Dirac Hamiltonian. Employing its photonic implementation of evanescently coupled waveguides, we indicate its ability to independently perturb the symmetries of the discrete model (breaking, also, the barrier towards the type-II phase) and arbitrarily define the location, anisotropy, and tilt of Dirac cones in the bulk. This unique aspect of topological control gives rise to highly versatile edge states, including an unusual class that emerges from the type-II degeneracies residing in the complex space of k. By probing these states, we investigate the topological nature of tilt and shed light on novel transport dynamics supported by Dirac configurations in two dimensions.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15952-z

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