Classifying topology in photonic heterostructures with gapless environments

DOI10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.131.213801arXiv2303.17135MaRDI QIDQ6431371FDOQ6431371

Kahlil Y. Dixon, Author name not available (Why is that?), Terry A. Loring

Publication date: 29 March 2023

Abstract: Photonic topological insulators exhibit bulk-boundary correspondence, which requires that boundary-localized states appear at the interface formed between topologically distinct insulating materials. However, many topological photonic devices share a boundary with free space, which raises a subtle but critical problem as free space is gapless for photons above the light-line. Here, we use a local theory of topological materials to resolve bulk-boundary correspondence in heterostructures containing gapless materials. In particular, we construct the heterostructure's spectral localizer, a composite operator based on the system's real-space description that provides a local marker for the system's topology and a corresponding local measure of its topological protection; both quantities are independent of the material's bulk band gap (or lack thereof). We demonstrate this approach's versatility in both tight-binding models and 2D photonic crystals. Ultimately, we show how to calculate topological invariants, quantify topological protection, and locate topological boundary-localized resonances in systems that interface with gapless media.

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