Observing movement of Dirac cones from single-photon dynamics

Graphene with honeycomb structure, critically important in understanding physics of matter, exhibits exceptionally unusual half-integer quantum Hall effect and unconventional electronic spectrum with quantum relativistic phenomena. Particularly, graphenelike structure can be used for realizing topological insulator which inspires an intrinsic topological protection mechanism with strong immunity for maintaining coherence of quantum information. These various peculiar physics arise from the unique properties of Dirac cones which show high hole degeneracy, massless charge carriers, and linear intersection of bands. Experimental observation of Dirac cones conventionally focuses on the energy-momentum space with bulk measurement. Here, we demonstrate a direct observation of the movement of Dirac cones from single-photon dynamics in photonic graphene under different biaxial strains. Sharing the same spirit of wave-particle nature in quantum mechanics, we identify the movement of Dirac cones by dynamically detecting the edge modes and extracting the diffusing distance of the packets with accumulation and statistics on individual single-particle registrations. Our results of observing movement of Dirac cones from single-photon dynamics, together with the method of direct observation in real space by mapping the band structure defined in momentum space, paves a novel way to understand and explore a variety of artificial structures.

Automated summary

Graphene with honeycomb structure plays a crucial role in understanding the physics of matter, exhibiting unique half-integer quantum Hall effect and unconventional electronic spectrum. Through direct observation of the movement of Dirac cones in photonic graphene, researchers have identified a novel way to explore artificial structures based on the wave-particle nature in quantum mechanics. This method provides insights into topological insulators and Dirac cones, paving the way for further research and understanding in the field of physics.