Photonic quadrupole topological insulator using orbital-induced synthetic flux

Here the authors experimentally demonstrate a photonic quadrupole topological insulator in a photonic lattice, in which required synthetic pi flux is induced by different symmetry representations of the orbitals in a mixed-orbital lattice. The rich physical properties of multiatomic crystals are determined, to a significant extent, by the underlying geometry and connectivity of atomic orbitals. The mixing of orbitals with distinct parity representations, such as s and p orbitals, has been shown to be useful for generating systems that require alternating phase patterns, as with the sign of couplings within a lattice. Here we show that by breaking the symmetries of such mixed-orbital lattices, it is possible to generate synthetic magnetic flux threading the lattice. We use this insight to experimentally demonstrate quadrupole topological insulators in two-dimensional photonic lattices, leveraging both s and p orbital-type modes. We confirm the nontrivial quadrupole topology by observing the presence of protected zero-dimensional states, which are spatially confined to the corners, and by confirming that these states sit at mid-gap. Our approach is also applicable to a broader range of time-reversal-invariant synthetic materials that do not allow for tailored connectivity, and in which synthetic fluxes are essential.

Automated summary

In this study, the authors experimentally demonstrate a photonic quadrupole topological insulator by breaking the symmetries of a mixed-orbital lattice and generating synthetic magnetic flux. The existence of the quadrupole topology is confirmed by observing protected zero-dimensional states that sit at mid-gap.