Researchers Gayathry Rajeevan and Sebabrata Mukherjee from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay have made a significant advancement in the field of topological insulators, a type of material that has potential applications in the energy sector, particularly in the development of robust and efficient energy transmission systems. Their work, published in the journal Nature Communications, explores the use of higher-orbital Floquet topological insulators in driven photonic lattices.
In their study, Rajeevan and Mukherjee demonstrate a novel method for creating robust unidirectional topological states by introducing periodically modulated couplings between the optical s and p orbitals in a square lattice. This staggered phase of the s-p couplings generates a synthetic uniform π magnetic flux per plaquette of the lattice. By periodically driving these couplings, the researchers open a topological bandgap, characterized by the Floquet winding number. This process results in the imaging of topological edge modes of s-p orbitals traveling unidirectionally around a corner.
The significance of this research lies in the combined effect of periodic driving and synthetic magnetic flux, which gives rise to these topological phases. The researchers found that when the synthetic flux is turned off, the system becomes trivial over a range of driving parameters. This finding opens up new avenues for exploring topological phenomena by introducing the orbital degree of freedom.
For the energy sector, this research could have practical applications in the development of topological insulators for energy transmission. Topological insulators are materials that conduct electricity only on their surface or edges while remaining insulating in their interior. This property could be leveraged to create highly efficient and robust energy transmission lines that are resistant to backscattering and other forms of energy loss. The ability to control and manipulate these topological states through periodic driving and synthetic magnetic flux could lead to the development of new energy technologies that are more efficient and reliable.
In summary, Rajeevan and Mukherjee’s research represents a significant step forward in the understanding and control of topological insulators. Their work opens up new possibilities for the development of advanced energy transmission systems that could revolutionize the energy sector. The study was published in Nature Communications, a highly respected journal in the field of scientific research.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.