Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Topological valley photonics, which exploits valley degrees of freedom to manipulate electromagnetic waves, offers a practical and effective pathway for various classical and quantum photonic applications across the entire spectrum. Current valley photonics, however, has been limited to two dimensions, which typically suffer from out-of-plane losses and can only manipulate the flow of light in planar geometries. Here, we have theoretically and experimentally developed a framework of three-dimensional (3D) topological valley photonics with a complete photonic band gap and vectorial valley contrasting physics. Unlike the two-dimensional counterparts with a pair of valleys characterized by scalar valley Chern numbers, the 3D valley systems exhibit triple pairs of valleys characterized by valley Chern vectors, enabling the creation of vectorial bulk valley vortices and canalized chiral valley surface states. Notably, the valley Chern vectors and the circulating propagation direction of the valley surface states are intrinsically governed by the right-hand-thumb rule. Our findings reveal the vectorial nature of the 3D valley states and highlight their potential applications in 3D waveguiding, directional radiation, and imaging.
Source: Physical Review Letters
DOI: 10.1103/kmsq-llfk
Authors: Wenhao Li, Qiaolu Chen, Ning Han, Xinrui Li, Fujia Chen, Junyao Wu, Yuang Pan, Yudong Ren, Hongsheng Chen, Haoran Xue, Yihao Yang
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Young Scientists Fund, National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talents, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province, Key Research and Development Program of Zhejiang Province
OpenAlex ID: W4414258692