Probing topological invariants in the bulk of a non-Hermitian optical system
Optics
2015-07-29 v1 Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Quantum Gases
Quantum Physics
Abstract
Topological insulators are insulating in the bulk but feature conducting states on their surfaces. Standard methods for probing their topological properties largely involve probing the surface, even though topological invariants are defined via the bulk band structure. Here, we utilize non-hermiticy to experimentally demonstrate a topological transition in an optical system, using bulk behavior only, without recourse to surface properties. This concept is relevant for a wide range of systems beyond optics, where the surface physics is difficult to probe.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1408.2191,
title = {Probing topological invariants in the bulk of a non-Hermitian optical system},
author = {Julia M. Zeuner and Mikael C. Rechtsman and Yonatan Plotnik and Yaakov Lumer and Mark S. Rudner and Mordechai Segev and Alexander Szameit},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1408.2191},
year = {2015}
}