2023/04/13 by Yijie Shen, Shen, Yijie, Chao He +21 · 2 citations
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Neural Networks and Reservoir Computing #Photonic Crystals and Applications #Topological Materials and Phenomena #physics.optics
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2304.06332
openalex publication_date 2023/04/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
Skyrmions are topologically protected quasiparticles, originally studied in condensed-matter systems and recently in photonics, with great potential in ultra-high-capacity information storage. Despite the recent attention, most optical solutions require complex and expensive systems yet produce limited topologies. Here we demonstrate an extended family of quasiparticles beyond normal skyrmions, which are controlled in confined photonic gradient-index media, extending to higher-order members such as multiskyrmions and multimerons, with increasingly complex topologies. We introduce new topological numbers to describe these complex photonic quasiparticles and propose how this new zoology of particles could be used in future high-capacity information transfer. Our compact creation system lends integrated and programmable solutions of complex particle textures, with potential impacts on both photonic and condensed-matter systems for revolutionizing topological informatics and logic devices.