Bulk properties of honeycomb lattices of superconducting microwave resonators

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the creation of honeycomb lattices of superconducting microwave resonators, imaging their band structures, and validating the results with theoretical models, advancing photonic lattice research.

Contribution

It introduces new superconducting microwave honeycomb lattices with tunable band structures and provides experimental imaging and validation of their band properties.

Findings

Successful realization of honeycomb microwave lattices

Imaging of eigenmodes matches theoretical models

Identification of Dirac points and band gaps

Abstract

We have realized different honeycomb lattices for microwave photons in the 4 to 8 GHz band using superconducting spiral resonators. Each lattice comprises a few hundred sites. Two designs have been studied, one leading to two bands touching at the Dirac points and one where a gap opens at the Dirac points. Using a scanning laser technique to image the eigenmodes of this new type of photonic lattices, we are able to reconstruct their band structure. The measured bands are in excellent agreement with ab initio models that combine numerical simulations of the electromagnetic properties of the spiral resonator and analytical calculations.