Observation of a Topological Transition in the Bulk of a Non-Hermitian System

Julia M. Zeuner; Mikael C. Rechtsman; Yonatan Plotnik; Yaakov Lumer; Stefan Nolte; Mark S. Rudner; Mordechai Segev; Alexander Szameit

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.040402

Observation of a Topological Transition in the Bulk of a Non-Hermitian System

Julia M. Zeuner, Mikael C. Rechtsman, Yonatan Plotnik, Yaakov Lumer, Stefan Nolte, Mark S. Rudner, Mordechai Segev, Alexander Szameit

Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

601 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present the first experimental observation of a topological transition in a non-Hermitian system. In contrast to standard methods for examining topological properties, which involve probing edge (or surface) states, we monitor the topological transition by employing bulk dynamics only. The system is composed of a lattice of evanescently coupled optical waveguides, and non-Hermitian behavior is engineered by inducing bending loss by spatially "wiggling" every second waveguide.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	040402
Journal	Physical review letters
Volume	115
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.040402
State	Published - Jul 23 2015

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Physics and Astronomy

Access to Document

10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.040402

Cite this

@article{03dbcca6dc514c678160046c9b270db5,

title = "Observation of a Topological Transition in the Bulk of a Non-Hermitian System",

abstract = "We present the first experimental observation of a topological transition in a non-Hermitian system. In contrast to standard methods for examining topological properties, which involve probing edge (or surface) states, we monitor the topological transition by employing bulk dynamics only. The system is composed of a lattice of evanescently coupled optical waveguides, and non-Hermitian behavior is engineered by inducing bending loss by spatially {"}wiggling{"} every second waveguide.",

author = "Zeuner, {Julia M.} and Rechtsman, {Mikael C.} and Yonatan Plotnik and Yaakov Lumer and Stefan Nolte and Rudner, {Mark S.} and Mordechai Segev and Alexander Szameit",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015 American Physical Society.",

year = "2015",

month = jul,

day = "23",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.040402",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "115",

journal = "Physical review letters",

issn = "0031-9007",

publisher = "American Physical Society",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Observation of a Topological Transition in the Bulk of a Non-Hermitian System

AU - Zeuner, Julia M.

AU - Rechtsman, Mikael C.

AU - Plotnik, Yonatan

AU - Lumer, Yaakov

AU - Nolte, Stefan

AU - Rudner, Mark S.

AU - Segev, Mordechai

AU - Szameit, Alexander

PY - 2015/7/23

Y1 - 2015/7/23

N2 - We present the first experimental observation of a topological transition in a non-Hermitian system. In contrast to standard methods for examining topological properties, which involve probing edge (or surface) states, we monitor the topological transition by employing bulk dynamics only. The system is composed of a lattice of evanescently coupled optical waveguides, and non-Hermitian behavior is engineered by inducing bending loss by spatially "wiggling" every second waveguide.

AB - We present the first experimental observation of a topological transition in a non-Hermitian system. In contrast to standard methods for examining topological properties, which involve probing edge (or surface) states, we monitor the topological transition by employing bulk dynamics only. The system is composed of a lattice of evanescently coupled optical waveguides, and non-Hermitian behavior is engineered by inducing bending loss by spatially "wiggling" every second waveguide.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84938775202&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84938775202&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.040402

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.040402

M3 - Article

C2 - 26252670

AN - SCOPUS:84938775202

SN - 0031-9007

VL - 115

JO - Physical review letters

JF - Physical review letters

IS - 4

M1 - 040402

ER -

Observation of a Topological Transition in the Bulk of a Non-Hermitian System

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this