Optical snake states in a photonic graphene

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Electron snake states are quantum phenomena observed in materials with specific geometries.
• Photonic graphene offers a platform to emulate condensed matter physics phenomena.
• Artificial gauge fields are crucial for simulating exotic electronic behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and investigate an optical analog of electron snake states.
• To implement an artificial gauge magnetic field in a photonic graphene structure.
• To explore the potential of this structure as a valley filter.

Main Methods:

• Developing a continuous model based on tight-binding approximation.
• Performing numerical simulations of a realistic photonic structure.
• Implementing an artificial gauge magnetic field by varying cavity pillar distances.

Main Results:

• Observed an optical analog of electron snake states.
• Demonstrated strong coupling between lateral propagation direction and valley degree of freedom.
• Validated the continuous model against numerical simulations.

Conclusions:

• The proposed photonic graphene structure successfully mimics electron snake states.
• The valley degree of freedom dictates the lateral propagation direction.
• The structure holds promise for applications as a valley filter in photonics.