Self-localized topological states in three dimensions

Three-dimensional (3D) topological materials exhibit much richer phenomena than their lower-dimensional counterparts. Here, we propose self-localized topological states (i.e., topological solitons) in a 3D nonlinear photonic Chern insulator. Despite being in the bulk and self-localized in all 3D, the topological solitons at high-symmetry points K and K??? rotate in the same direction, due to the underlying topology. Specifically, under the saturable nonlinearity the solitons are stable over a broad frequency range. Our results highlight how topology and nonlinearity interact with each other and can be extended to other 3D topological systems.

Automated summary

This research proposes self-localized topological states in a 3D nonlinear photonic system, where the topological solitons at high-symmetry points rotate in the same direction and remain stable under the saturable nonlinearity. The findings highlight the interaction between topology and nonlinearity and its potential application in other 3D topological systems.