Experimental demonstration of the robust end state in a split-ring-resonator chain

TL;DR

This paper experimentally demonstrates topologically protected end states in a chain of split-ring resonators, confirming their robustness against perturbations and highlighting potential applications in robust photonic communication.

Contribution

It provides the first experimental observation of topological end states in split-ring-resonator chains based on the SSH model, showing their robustness.

Findings

Topological end states are observed directly in the resonator chain.

End states remain stable despite loss and disorder.

The work offers a platform for topological photonics applications.

Abstract

One of the fascinating topological phenomena is the end state in one dimensional system. In this work, the topological photonics in the dimer chains composed by the split ring resonators are revealed based on the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model. The topologically protected photonic end state is observed directly with the in situ measurements of the local density of states in the topological nontrivial chain. Moreover, we experimentally demonstrate that the end state localized at both ends is robust against a varied of perturbations, such as loss and disorder. Our results not only provide a versatile platform to study the topological physics in photonics but also may have potential applications in the robust communication and power transfer.