English

Self-healing topological streams in space-time

Optics 2026-07-24 v1

Abstract

Topological states are renowned for their robustness against perturbations. Recent advances have further introduced momentum-gap (or time) topology in time-varying media, enabling temporal topological states. However, existing studies for momentum-gap topology are largely confined to non-propagating interface states; their potential for wave transport, especially at moving boundaries, has yet to be realized. Here, we experimentally demonstrate topological streams in space-time: space-time topological edge states that propagate along a moving boundary in a dynamically modulated time-synthetic photonic lattice. These streams arise from the coexistence of energy-gap and momentum-gap topologies and break both spatial and temporal translation symmetries, conserving neither energy nor momentum. Remarkably, they reconstruct their wave profiles after strong localized spatiotemporal obstacles, enabled by an imaginary quasienergy gap and kinematic decoupling from radiative bulk channels. Our results establish a form of self-healing spatiotemporal non-Hermitian protection, showing that the temporal dimension can transform topology from pinned states and isolated events into robust, directional and self-restoring wave transport.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2607.22113,
  title  = {Self-healing topological streams in space-time},
  author = {Yudong Ren and Wenhao Li and Yuang Pan and Hongsheng Chen and Yihao Yang},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2607.22113},
  year   = {2026}
}