Quantum Optics Seminar by Mohammad Hafezi

Topological photonics: from classical to quantum

There are tremendous efforts underway to better understand systems with
topological character--- global properties that are not discernible locally.
The best-known examples are quantum Hall effects in electronic systems, where
insensitivity to local propertiesmanifests itself as conductance through edge
states that are insensitive to defects and disorder. In this talk, I demonstrate how similar
physics can be observed for photons; specifically, how various quantum Hall
Hamiltonians can be simulated in an optical platform. I report on the first observation of topological photonic edge state using silicon-on-insulator technology and our recent advance in studying the quantum transport of such topological photonic structures. Furthermore, the addition of optical nonlinearity to this system provides a platform to implement fractional quantum Hall states of photons and anyonic states that have not yet been observed. More generally, the application of these ideas can lead to the
development of optical devices with topological protection for classical and quantum
information processing.