Physics and Astronomy Colloquium- Topological physics: From Electrons to Photons and Back to Electrons
Speaker: Mohammad Hafezi
There are many intriguing physical phenomena that are associated with topological features - global properties that are not discernible locally. The best-known examples are the quantum Hall effects in electronic systems, where insensitivity to local properties manifests itself as robust conductance. In the talk, we first discuss how similar physics can be explored with photons; specifically, how various topological models can be simulated in various photonics systems, from ring resonators to photonic crystals and fiber loops. We then discuss how the integration of optical nonlinearity can lead to unique bosonic phenomena, such as topological frequency combs, topological sources of quantum light and chiral quantum optics. These results may enable the development of classical and quantum optical devices with built-in protection for next-generation optoelectronics and quantum technologies. In the end, I discuss the topological interplay between photonic and electronic systems. Specifically, we explore whether light can create and manipulate topological electronic states.
Here are a few references for more perspective https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.16528 and https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.03417