Search arXivSearch

arXiv · 1910.03415

Transition from Dirac points to exceptional points in anisotropic waveguides

Abstract

We uncover the existence of Dirac and exceptional points in waveguides made of anisotropic materials, and study the transition between them. Dirac points in the dispersion diagram appear at propagation directions where the matrix describing the eigenvalue problem for bound states splits into two blocks, sorting the eigenmodes either by polarization or by inner mode symmetry. Introducing a non-Hermitian channel via a suitable leakage mechanism causes the Dirac points to transform into exceptional points connected by a Fermi arc. The exceptional points arise as improper hybrid leaky states and, importantly, are found to occur always out of the anisotropy symmetry planes.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Jordi Gomis-Bresco, David Artigas, Lluis Torner. 2019-10-08. Transition from Dirac points to exceptional points in anisotropic waveguides. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevresearch.1.033010

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

Selective sparsity-enhanced synchronization in disordered semiconductor laser networks

Biological networks tend to leverage selective sparsity as an economic strategy to optimize function while minimizing wiring costs. In contrast, achieving synchronization in engineered systems such as semiconductor laser arrays is traditionally expected to require resource-intensive coupling %strong connections to overcome intrinsic frequency disorders. We demonstrate that selectively coupled sparse networks can outperform fully connected architectures, achieving near-complete synchronization with a significantly reduced coupling budget. Using an evolutionary algorithm, we identify a ``pairing opposites" principle: optimal structures specifically prioritize connections between oscillators with the largest opposite frequency detuning. This topology neutralizes dynamical interference induced by redundant links, leading to stable synchronization. We formalize this mechanism through a thermodynamic potential framework, mapping time-delayed phase dynamics to an energy landscape where optimal sparsity prunes additional states to stabilize global phase-locking. Furthermore, we show that the optimal connectivity scales inversely with system size. This principle provides a resource-efficient blueprint for synchronizing and stabilizing diverse complex networks, from photonic arrays to neuromorphic hardware.

physics.optics

Super-resolution microscopy via fluctuation-enhanced spatial mode demultiplexing

We introduce a superresolution technique that combines spatial mode demultiplexing (SPADE) with emitter blinking. We show that temporal fluctuations not only enhance the precision of SPADE imaging, but also drastically simplify the measurement required to recover full object information---in the presence of fluctuations, SPADE can be replaced by the much simpler image inversion interferometry. Both gains are enabled by exploiting temporal cumulants of the detected signal. We further show that the proposed fluctuation-enhanced techniques are significantly more robust to dark-count noise than conventional SPADE.

physics.optics

Phase-controlled transport of Floquet-driven compact chiral photonic states

The Aharonov-Bohm (AB) effect remains a cornerstone of fundamental and applied physics. In this work, we utilize the AB caging effect originated from an effective magnetic field induced by multiorbital interactions, creating an all flat band (FB) lattice system. Normally, FB states are known for being compact in space and having a zero tail; therefore, their mobility in a linear environment is generally understood as impossible. We propose a Floquet driving protocol in an all-FB photonic system to fully control the dynamics of localized photonic states. The modulation of the Hamiltonian along the propagation coordinate allows the translation of compact states in the direction of constructive interference, resulting in an effective stroboscopic quantum walk-like effect. We find that the traveling states exist in chiral pairs. We experimentally implement the Floquet driven protocol using femtosecond laser written photonic waveguides and demonstrate directional control of the propagation, determined by the relative phase of the input condition.

physics.optics