Related papers: Optically enriched and guided dynamics of active s…
Magnetic skyrmions, topologically stabilized chiral magnetic textures with particle-like properties have so far primarily been studied statically. Here, we experimentally investigate the dynamics of skyrmion ensembles in metallic thin film…
Light-induced control of ions within small Coulomb crystals is investigated. By intense intracavity optical standing wave fields, subwavelength localization of individual ions is achieved for one-, two-, and three-dimensional crystals.…
In uniaxial soft matter with a reorientational nonlinearity, such as nematic liquid crystals, a light beam in the extraordinary polarization walks off its wavevector due to birefringence, while it undergoes self-focusing via an increase in…
Pure liquids in thermodynamic equilibrium are structurally homogeneous. In liquid crystals, flow and light pulses are used to create reconfigurable domains with polar order. Moreover, through careful engineering of concerted microfluidic…
Light is one of the most powerful and precise tools allowing us to control, shape and create new phases of matter. In this task, the magnetic component of a light wave has so far played a unique role in defining the wave's helicity, but its…
Self-propelled bacteria are marvels of nature with a potential to power dynamic materials and microsystems of the future. The challenge is in commanding their chaotic behavior. By dispersing swimming Bacillus subtilis in a…
Skyrmions are topologically protected quasiparticles, originally studied in condensed-matter systems and recently in photonics, with great potential in ultra-high-capacity information storage. Despite the recent attention, most optical…
Skyrmions are topological quasi-particles characterised by local spin textures, which are considered to be robust against structural deformation. N\'eel and Bloch states are famous examples of skyrmions, which exhibit radical and chiral…
Non-Hermitian systems have been discussed mostly in the context of open systems and nonequilibrium. Recent experimental progress is much from optical, cold-atomic, and classical platforms due to the vast tunability and clear identification…
The propagation of the quantum states of light in dispersive and anisotropic media is a fundamental problem in quantum optics. We present a unified theoretical framework for the propagation of the quantum states of light in…
Precise manipulation of small objects using light holds transformative potential across diverse fields. While research in optical trapping and manipulation predominantly relies on the attraction of solid matter to light intensity maxima,…
Active matter drives its constituent agents to move autonomously by harnessing free energy, leading to diverse emergent states with relevance to both biological processes and inanimate functionalities. Achieving maximum reconfigurability of…
Spontaneously emergent chirality is an issue of fundamental importance across the natural sciences. It has been argued that a unidirectional (chiral) rotation of a mechanical ratchet is forbidden in thermal equilibrium, but becomes possible…
Phases of matter are ubiquitous with everyday examples including solids and liquids. In reduced dimensions, particular phases, such as the two-dimensional (2D) hexatic phase and corresponding phase transitions occur. A particularly exciting…
Topological magnetic solitons, such as skyrmions, exhibit intriguing particle-like properties that make them attractive for fundamental research and practical applications. While many magnetic systems can host skyrmions as statically stable…
Magnetic skyrmions are magnetic quasi-particles with enhanced stability and different manipulation mechanisms using external fields and currents making them promising candidates for future applications for instance in neuromorphic…
Optical skyrmions are an emerging class of structured light with sophisticated particle-like topologies with great potential for revolutionizing modern informatics. However, the current generation of optical skyrmions involves complex or…
Confining a liquid crystal imposes topological constraints on the orientational order, allowing global control of equilibrium systems by manipulation of anchoring boundary conditions. In this article, we investigate whether a similar…
Skyrmions--topologically protected nanoscale spin textures with vortex-like configurations--hold transformative potential for ultra-dense data storage, spintronics and quantum computing. However, their practical utility is challenged by…
Skyrmions are highly stable chiral magnetic spin textures with non-trivial topology. They can act as quasi-particles that can be generated, manipulated and annihilated, and hold promise for future memory and logic devices. As of now,…