Inhibition and Reconstruction of Zener Tunneling in Photonic Honeycomb Lattices

Quantum coherence is the central element of particle states, and it characterizes the overall performance of various quantum materials. Bloch oscillation is a fundamental coherent behavior of particles under a static potential, which can be easily destroyed by Zener tunneling in multiband 2D lattice materials. The control of Zener tunneling therefore plays the key role in quantum engineering for complicated physical systems. Here, the inhibition and reconstruction of Zener tunneling in photonic honeycomb lattices are experimentally demonstrated. Deformed honeycomb lattices are integrated and an effective static potential is realized on the 2D lattice materials. Zener tunneling disappears in stretch-type lattices and wave packets stay in the dispersionless upper energy band. On the contrary, Zener tunneling is greatly enhanced in compression-type lattices and wave packets exhibit directional oscillations without branches, which manifest the preserved coherence of the wave packets. The results demonstrate the protection of photonic coherence by structurally controlling the Zener tunneling, representing a step toward flexible quantum engineering for large-scale artificial quantum materials.

Automated summary

This study experimentally demonstrates the inhibition and reconstruction of Zener tunneling in photonic honeycomb lattices. By structurally controlling Zener tunneling, the coherence of photons is protected, paving the way for flexible quantum engineering of large-scale artificial quantum materials.