Light guiding by artificial gauge fields

Yaakov Lumer, Miguel A. Bandres, Matthias Heinrich, Lukas J. Maczewsky, Hanan Herzig-Sheinfux, Alexander Szameit, Mordechai Segev

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

85 Scopus citations

Abstract

Artificial gauge fields enable uncharged particles to behave as if affected by external fields. Generated by geometry or modulation, artificial gauge fields are instrumental in realizing topological physics in photonics, cold atoms and acoustics. Here, we experimentally demonstrate waveguiding by artificial gauge fields. We construct artificial gauge fields by using waveguide arrays with non-trivial trajectories. Tilting the arrays results in gauge fields that are different in the core and cladding, shifting their dispersion curves, thereby confining the light to the core. In a more advanced setting, we demonstrate waveguiding in a medium with the same gauge and dispersion everywhere, where the only difference between the core and the cladding is a phase shift in the dynamics of the gauge fields, which facilitates waveguiding via bound states in the continuum. Waveguiding and bound states in the continuum via artificial gauge fields relate to a plethora of systems, ranging from photonics and microwaves to cold atoms and acoustics.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)339-345
Number of pages7
JournalNature Photonics
Volume13
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 May 2019
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.

Funding

This work was supported by the German–Israeli DIP Program (grant no. BL 574/13-1), the United States Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (grants nos. SZ 276/9-1, SZ 276/19-1 and SZ 276/20-1) and an Advanced Grant from the European Research Council. The authors thank C. Otto for preparing the high-quality fused-silica samples used in all experiments presented here.

FundersFunder number
German–Israeli DIP ProgramBL 574/13-1
Air Force Office of Scientific Research
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme789339
European Commission
Deutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftSZ 276/20-1, SZ 276/9-1, SZ 276/19-1

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Light guiding by artificial gauge fields'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this