Quantized angular momentum in topological optical systems

While the Chern number is used to characterize topological states in both electronic and photonic systems, its direct physical meaning in photonics has not yet been established. Here, Silveirinha shows that the photonic Chern number can be understood as a quantum of the optical angular momentum.

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Mário G. Silveirinha
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2019-01-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-08215-5