Observation of a topological edge state stabilized by dissipation

Abstract

Robust states emerging at the boundary of a system constitute a hallmark for topological band structures. Other than in closed systems, topologically protected states can occur even in systems with a trivial band structure, if exposed to suitably modulated losses. Here, we study the dissipation-induced emergence of a topological band structure in a non-Hermitian one-dimensional lattice system, realized by arrays of plasmonic waveguides with tailored loss. We obtain direct evidence for a topological edge state that resides in the center of the band gap. By tuning dissipation and hopping, the formation and breakdown of an interface state between topologically distinct regions is demonstrated.

9 pages, 6 figures

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Cited by in corpus (4)

• Observation of Nonlinear Response and Onsager Regression in a Photon Bose-Einstein Condensate
• Time-periodic driving of a bath-coupled open quantum gas of light
• Finite-temperature topological invariant for higher-order topological insulators
• An unusual phase transition in a non-Hermitian Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model