Topological photonic Su-Schrieffer-Heeger-type coupler

TL;DR

This paper develops a coupled-mode theory for surface modes in a topological photonic Su-Schrieffer-Heeger lattice, analyzing linear and nonlinear regimes, and demonstrates effective surface mode excitation and complex nonlinear dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces a formalism for analyzing surface mode coupling in a finite SSH lattice, including a simplified nonlinear model and numerical validation.

Findings

Surface modes can be effectively excited by launching light at the edges.

Nonlinear effects lead to wave mixing and chaotic behavior at high nonlinearity.

The simplified model accurately predicts surface mode dynamics under weak to moderate nonlinearity.

Abstract

We examine the coupling process between the surface modes of a Su-Schrieffer-Heeger lattice both in the linear and the nonlinear regimes. We first develop a coupled-mode theory formalism for the modes of a finite lattice with zero boundary conditions. Our analysis relies on the closed-form expressions for the bulk and the surface eigenmodes of the system. The coupled-mode theory formalism is based on a decomposition of the supermodes into sublattice modes. In the case of the two zero sublattice surface modes, this leads to periodic oscillations between them without the involvement of the bulk modes. We analytically show that launching light only on the waveguide that is located at either edge of the array, can be very effective in successfully exciting the respective surface mode. We extend our analysis, in the case of Kerr nonlinearity, and develop a simplified model that accounts only for the surface modes. By direct numerical simulations, we find that this model can very accurately capture the dynamics of the surface modes when the nonlinearity is small or moderate. On the other hand, in the case of strong nonlinearity, wave mixing leads to the quasi-periodic excitation of the bulk modes, or even to a chaotic behavior where all the modes of the systems are excited, and no prominent signature of the surface modes can be detected.