Programmable 2D photonic quasicrystals with real-time reconfigurability

We demonstrate a programmable approach to generate 2D photonic quasicrystals (PQCs) with real-time reconfigurability. By encoding complex amplitude onto the spatial light modulator (SLM), we directly emulate tunable PQC lattices, where the engineered diffractive patterns define the PQC structure. This approach enables real-time switching (60 Hz) between diverse PQC lattices with up to 26-fold rotational symmetry, tailorable orbital angular momentum (OAM), and distortion control. Moreover, parameter optimization can further customize the PQC structures to meet additional demands. This SLM-based method enables scalable PQCs with experimentally validated reliability. It offers direct applications in localization, topological photonics, and parallel optical trapping, providing a versatile platform for emerging optical and quantum applications.