Speaker
Description
Quantum phenomena in condensed matter that are difficult to access experimentally can be investigated using photonic analog quantum simulation, where classical light emulates quantum dynamics. In coupled optical waveguide arrays, evanescent coupling mimics electronic tunneling, enabling the study of tunable band structures and topological effects. Topological materials exhibit topologically protected properties that remain robust even in the presence of disorder. This remarkable resilience has made topology a subject of longstanding interest in condensed matter physics. One of the most widely studied examples is the Su–Schrieffer–Heeger (SSH) model, typically realized by alternating strong and weak couplings in dimerized waveguide lattices, giving rise to topological edge states. To date, the SSH model and many other condensed matter phenomena have been investigated in photonic waveguide systems almost exclusively using the fundamental Gaussian mode as the input. Here, we extend this framework by exploiting higher-order transverse electromagnetic (TEM) modes as an additional degree of freedom. We demonstrate that the spatial structure of these modes alone can induce the alternating coupling required for the SSH model, eliminating the need for a physically dimerized waveguide lattice. This approach provides a new route to engineering topological photonic systems through modal control rather than structural modulation.
