Seminar Link: Picoelectrodynamics Theory Network - YouTube
Abstract
Over the past three decades, graphene has become the prototypical platform for discovering topological phases of matter. Both the Chern C∈Z and quantum spin Hall υ∈Z2 insulators were first predicted in graphene, which led to a veritable explosion of research in topological materials. We introduce a new topological classification of two-dimensional matter – the optical N-phases N∈Z. This topological quantum number is connected to polarization transport and captured solely by the spatiotemporal dispersion of the susceptibility tensor χ. We verify N ≠ 0 in graphene with the underlying physical mechanism being repulsive Hall viscosity. An experimental probe, evanescent magneto-optic Kerr effect (e-MOKE) spectroscopy, is proposed to explore the N-invariant. We also develop topological circulators by exploiting gapless edge plasmons that are immune to back-scattering and navigate sharp defects with impunity. Our work indicates that graphene with repulsive Hall viscosity is the first candidate material for a topological electromagnetic phase of matter.
By Sathwik Bharadwaj
Dr. Sathwik Bharadwaj joined the group in August 2020. He received his Ph.D. in Physics from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts in July 2020, where he developed scalable quantum scattering theories for low-dimensional materials. Previously, he obtained M.Sc. in Physics from the University of Hyderabad, India in 2015. His research interest focuses on the development of theoretical and multiscale numerical techniques to study the electronic and photonic properties of the condensed matter systems, and further apply this knowledge to enable the development of novel nanodevices for quantum technologies.