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Dynamically reconfigurable topological routing in nonlinear photonic systems.
Stephan Wong1, Simon Betzold2, Sven Höfling2
1Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87185, USA. stewong@sandia.gov.
Light, Science & Applications
|January 3, 2026
Summary
We demonstrate dynamic control over topological states in photonic systems. This allows for reconfigurable topological interfaces and tunable paths for protected routing in real-time.
Area of Science:
- Quantum physics
- Condensed matter physics
- Photonics
Background:
- Topologically protected states in photonic devices are typically fixed after fabrication.
- Controlling these states dynamically is crucial for advanced photonic applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and demonstrate a mechanism for dynamic control of local topology in driven dissipative systems.
- To achieve reconfigurable topological interfaces and tunable protected routing paths.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing non-resonantly pumped polariton lattices with nonlinear interactions.
- Applying a generalized spectral localizer framework to a driven-dissipative Gross-Pitaevskii equation model.
- Analyzing topological dynamics using a local Chern marker.
Main Results:
- Achieved picosecond-scale changes in propagation paths of chiral edge states.
- Demonstrated dynamic control over local topology in polariton lattices.
- Validated numerical observations with an analytical framework for non-linear non-Hermitian Chern materials.
Conclusions:
- The proposed mechanism enables real-time reconfiguration of topological interfaces.
- This work paves the way for novel classes of dynamic topological photonic devices.
- Reconfigurable topological routing offers new possibilities in photonic device design.
