Physicists from the University of Rostock led by Professor Alexander Szameit and researchers from the University of Freiburg have succeeded in extremely stabilising the interaction of photons using topological laws. The results were published in the journal Science.
By combining topological concepts and quantum mechanics, they were able to achieve robust light propagation in optical circuits. These circuits, consisting of microscopic waveguides, enable efficient and low-loss transmission of light that is insensitive to defects.
The added value of this research lies in the development of more stable and complex optical technologies that function reliably even in the event of production deviations. This opens up new possibilities in photonics and quantum light applications.
The research was funded by the German Research Foundation, the European Union and the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen-und-Halbach Foundation.
Original publication: Ehrhardt et al. (2024) Topological Hong-Ou-Mandel interference, Science 384, Issue 6702, pp 1340-1344, science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ado819