Anomalous reflection at the interface of binary synthetic photonic lattices

TL;DR

This paper presents a theoretical construction of binary synthetic photonic lattices with an effective magnetic field, demonstrating controllable total reflection and energy exchange at interfaces, which could enable advanced optical switching.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method to manipulate light at interfaces in synthetic photonic lattices using phase and wave vector tuning, enabling total reflection without diffraction.

Findings

Total reflection achieved under specific phase and wave vector conditions

Complete energy exchange between two fiber loops demonstrated

Transmittance at the interface can be precisely controlled

Abstract

We construct a binary synthetic photonic lattice theoretically with an effective magnetic field by projecting two fiber loops' light intensity and adjusting the phase distribution precisely. By tuning the phase modulator, wave vector, and propagation constant of an effective waveguide, the interface's transmittance could be manipulated. Further light dynamics show that the light pulse can achieve total reflection without diffraction and exchanges the light energy in two optical fiber loops completely when phase distribution and wave vector meet certain conditions. Our study may provide a new way to realize optical switches in optical interconnection and optical communication.