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Updated: May 29, 2026
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Experimental Methods for Spin- and Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy Combined with Polarization-Variable Laser
Published on: June 28, 2018
Multiple photon field-induced topological states in bulk HgTe
Dongbin Shin1,2, I-Te Lu2, Benshu Fan2
1Department of Physics and Photon Science, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea.
Science Advances
|May 27, 2026
Summary
Photon fields in photonic structures can engineer quantum materials, inducing emergent topological phases like Weyl and topological insulators. This light-matter interaction offers on-demand control over material properties and topological phenomena.
Area of Science:
- Condensed matter physics
- Quantum optics
- Materials science
Background:
- Strong light-matter interactions offer pathways to control quantum material properties.
- Photonic structures can hybridize with condensed matter, forming photon field-dressed states.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate how photon fields in photonic structures induce emergent topological phases in solids.
- To explore polarization-mediated symmetry breaking as the underlying mechanism.
- To investigate the potential for engineering material properties on demand.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing state-of-the-art quantum electrodynamic density functional theory (QED-DFT) calculations.
- Analyzing the effects of strong light-matter coupling on electronic and ionic structures.
- Investigating HgTe as a model system.
Main Results:
- Photon fields induce topological phases (Weyl, nodal-line, topological insulator) in HgTe.
- Phase emergence is mediated by polarization-driven symmetry breaking.
- Steady-state photon-matter hybridization, not laser-driven effects, causes symmetry breaking.
- Multiple robust topological states emerge based on sample orientation and coupling strength.
Conclusions:
- Vacuum fluctuations in photonic structures can be harnessed to engineer quantum materials.
- Emergent topological phases can be realized in quantum materials on demand.
- This approach provides a novel route to control and create topological phenomena.
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