Slow light topological photonics with counter-propagating waves and its active control on a chip

Abhishek Kumar, Yi Ji Tan, Nikhil Navaratna, Manoj Gupta, Prakash Pitchappa and Ranjan Singh ()
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Abhishek Kumar: Nanyang Technological University
Yi Ji Tan: Nanyang Technological University
Nikhil Navaratna: Nanyang Technological University
Manoj Gupta: Nanyang Technological University
Prakash Pitchappa: Technology and Research
Ranjan Singh: Nanyang Technological University

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: 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.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45175-5

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