Reconfigurable Microwave Photonic Topological Insulator

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates reconfigurable microwave photonic topological insulators using tunable 3D lattice systems, enabling dynamic control of topological properties and photon transport without magnetic fields, with potential applications in signal processing and sensing.

Contribution

It introduces a reconfigurable, tunable 3D photonic lattice system that can dynamically alter topological properties and photon transport, a novel approach in topological photonics.

Findings

Reconfigurable topological phases achieved via tunable posts.

Photon transport without external magnetic fields demonstrated.

Flexible bulk/edge configuration control.

Abstract

Using full 3D finite element simulation and underlining Hamiltonian models, we demonstrate reconfigurable photonic analogues of topological insulators on a regular lattice of tunable posts in a re-entrant 3D lumped element type system. The tunability allows dynamical {\it in-situ} change of media chirality and other properties via alteration of the same parameter for all posts, and as a result, great flexibility in choice of bulk/edge configurations. Additionally, one way photon transport without an external magnetic field is demonstrated. The ideas are illustrated by using both full finite element simulation as well as simplified harmonic oscillator models. Dynamical reconfigurability of the proposed systems paves the way to a new class of systems that can be employed for random access, topological signal processing and sensing.