In-situ tunneling control in photonic potentials by Rashba-Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates in-situ control of photon tunneling in a microcavity using Rashba-Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling induced by liquid crystal birefringence, enabling tunable photonic Hamiltonians.

Contribution

It introduces a method to control photon tunneling between lattice sites via voltage-tuned spin-orbit coupling in liquid crystal microcavities, advancing photonic Hamiltonian engineering.

Findings

Voltage application modulates tunneling amplitudes.

Spin-orbit coupling acts as an artificial gauge field.

Technique compatible with strong-light matter and non-Hermitian physics.

Abstract

The tunability of individual coupling amplitudes in photonic lattices is highly desirable for photonic Hamiltonian engineering and for studying topological transitions in situ. In this work, we demonstrate the tunneling control between individual lattice sites patterned inside an optical microcavity. The tuning is achieved by applying a voltage to a liquid crystal microcavity possessing photonic Rashba-Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling. This type of spin-orbit coupling emerges due to the high birefringence of the liquid crystal material and constitutes an artificial gauge field for photons. The proposed technique can be combined with strong-light matter coupling and non-Hermitian physics already established in liquid crystal microcavities.