A hybrid-frequency programmable synthetic-dimension simulator with rich coupling on a single chip

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Analog Computing
• Condensed Matter Physics Simulation

Background:

• High-performance photonic chips are powerful platforms for analog computing.
• Simulating high-dimensional physical systems requires architectures with rich coupling configurations.
• Existing methods for asymmetric coupling are complex and hinder scalability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate a novel hybrid-frequency synthetic-dimension simulator architecture.
• To overcome limitations of previous approaches in simulating complex lattice models.
• To enable rich coupling configurations for scalable on-chip analog computing.

Main Methods:

• Development of a hybrid-frequency synthetic-dimension simulator architecture.
• Experimental demonstration using a thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) photonic chip.
• Simulation of symmetric, asymmetric, and long-range coupled lattice models.

Main Results:

• Successful simulation of Hall, Creutz, and Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) models on a single chip.
• Direct readout of the SSH model's bandstructure achieved.
• Observation of spin-momentum locking, topological flat bands, and Aharonov-Bohm cage effect with reduced experimental needs.

Conclusions:

• The proposed hybrid programmable architecture significantly reduces experimental requirements for complex simulations.
• This architecture facilitates rich coupling configurations crucial for scaling up on-chip simulators.
• The platform shows promise for future large-scale complex on-chip simulators and applications like optical frequency shifting.