Waveguide Photonic limiters based on topologically protected resonant modes

Ulrich Kuhl (1) , Fabrice Mortessagne (1) , Eleana Makri (2) , Ilya Vitebskiy (3) , Tsampikos Kottos (2)

1 LPMC - Laboratoire de physique de la matière condensée
2 Wesleyan University
3 Air Force Research Laboratory, Sensors Directorate

We propose a concept of chiral photonic limiters utilizing topologically protected localized midgap defect states in a photonic waveguide. The chiral symmetry alleviates the effects of structural imperfections and guarantees a high level of resonant transmission for low intensity radiation. At high intensity, the light-induced absorption can suppress the localized modes, along with the resonant transmission. In this case the entire photonic structure becomes highly reflective within a broad frequency range, thus increasing dramatically the damage threshold of the limiter. Here we demonstrate experimentally the loss-induced reflection principle of operation which is at the heart of reflective photonic limiters using a waveguide consisting of coupled dielectric microwave resonators.

Domaines: Systèmes mésoscopiques et effet Hall quantique [cond-mat.mes-hall]; Optique / photonique

Ulrich Kuhl, Fabrice Mortessagne, Eleana Makri, Ilya Vitebskiy, Tsampikos Kottos. Waveguide Photonic limiters based on topologically protected resonant modes. Physical Review B: Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (1998-2015), 2017, 95, pp.121409(R). ⟨10.1103/PhysRevB.95.121409⟩. ⟨hal-01481364⟩