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Mohammad
Hafezi (Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland,
and NIST)
will talk about
Observation of topological photonic edge states
in Silicon
Wedneday, June 26, 2013
14:00 - 15:00
HIT E41.1
Abstract
Systems with
topological order exhibit exotic phenomena associated purely
with the boundaries
of the system. While most systems with topological
order have been
electronic, advances in our understanding of synthetic
gauge fields have
enabled investigation of topological order in ultracold
atoms or even with
photons. In this talk, I describe our efforts on the
theoretical and the
experimental realization of synthetic magnetic fields
for infrared photons
at room temperature. Our implementation corresponds to
a spin-orbit
Hamiltonian, uses linear optics and does not break time
reversal symmetry. I
discuss the observation of edge states for light in
a two-dimensional
system and its robustness
against intrinsic
and introduced disorders, as proof of topological
order. Furthermore,
I will consider the strong photon-photon interactions
regime, which
enables the potential realization of fractional quantum
Hall states, in the
non-equilibrium pumped regime, relevant for
the photonic
systems.
sig. Gianni
Blatter
*********************************
ETH Zurich
Denise Pin
Institute
for Theoretical Physics
HIT K 13.2
Wolfgang-Pauli-Str.
27
8093 Zurich
Switzerland
Tel. + 41
44 633 25 74
Fax + 41 44
633 11 15