Direct observation of valley-polarized topological edge states in designer surface plasmon crystals

Xiaoxiao Wu, Yan Meng, Jingxuan Tian, Yingzhou Huang, Hong Xiang, Dezhuan Han () and Weijia Wen ()
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Xiaoxiao Wu: Chongqing University
Yan Meng: Chongqing University
Jingxuan Tian: The University of Hong Kong
Yingzhou Huang: Chongqing University
Hong Xiang: Chongqing University
Dezhuan Han: Chongqing University
Weijia Wen: Chongqing University

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract The extensive research of two-dimensional layered materials has revealed that valleys, as energy extrema in momentum space, could offer a new degree of freedom for carrying information. Based on this concept, researchers have predicted valley-Hall topological insulators that could support valley-polarized edge states at non-trivial domain walls. Recently, several kinds of photonic and sonic crystals have been proposed as classical counterparts of valley-Hall topological insulators. However, direct experimental observation of valley-polarized edge states in photonic crystals has remained difficult until now. Here, we demonstrate a designer surface plasmon crystal comprising metallic patterns deposited on a dielectric substrate, which can become a valley-Hall photonic topological insulator by exploiting the mirror-symmetry-breaking mechanism. Topological edge states with valley-dependent transport are directly visualized in the microwave regime. The observed edge states are confirmed to be fully valley-polarized through spatial Fourier transforms. Topological protection of the edge states at sharp corners is also experimentally demonstrated.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01515-2

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