2018/03/06 by Daniel Hey, Hey, Daniel, Enbang Li +1
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Mechanical and Optical Resonators #Optics (physics.optics) #Photonic and Optical Devices #Topological Materials and Phenomena
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1803.01977
openalex publication_date 2018/03/06 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Photons are weak particles that do not directly couple to magnetic fields. However, it is possible to generate a photonic gauge field by breaking reciprocity such that the phase of light depends on its direction of propagation. This non-reciprocal phase indicates the presence of an effective magnetic field for the light itself. By suitable tailoring of this phase it is possible to demonstrate quantum effects typically associated with electrons, and as has been recently shown, non-trivial topological properties of light. This paper reviews dynamic modulation as a process for breaking the time-reversal symmetry of light and generating a synthetic gauge field, and discusses its role in topological photonics, as well as recent developments in exploring topological photonics in higher dimensions.