Topological edge states in bichromatic photonic crystals

Abstract

Bichromatic photonic crystal structures are based on the coexistence of two different periodicities in the dielectric constant profile. They are realized starting from a photonic crystal waveguide and modifying the lattice constant only in the waveguide region. In this work, we numerically investigate the spectral and topological properties of bichromatic structures. Our calculations demonstrate that they provide a photonic analog of the integer quantum Hall state, a well-known example of a topological insulator. The nontrivial topology of the bandstructure is illustrated by the formation of strongly localized, topologically protected boundary modes when finite-sized bichromatic structures are embedded in a larger photonic crystal.