Design of a Backscatter-Free Waveguide Based on Photonic Topological Insulators

Abstract

Topological Insulators are systems where the broken time reversal symmetry gives rise to protected edge modes that support backscatter-free and one-way propagation of electromagnetic waves by opening non-trivial bandgaps. In this study we investigate a oneway topologically protected waveguide in the frequency range of f=6.0 to 8.0 GHz. The time reversal symmetry is broken by an applied magnetic field in the z direction. We show that the waveguide propagates the light in only one direction that can be controlled by the applied magnetic field and no backscattering is present in the waveguide which results in a near 100% transmission of light to the output. Furthermore, we investigate effect of the applied magnetic field on the topological properties of the system by considering the material dispersion of the rods. Our results show that 3 different frequency ranges will be supported by the edge modes at each given magnetic field. By increasing the magnitude of the applied magnetic field, a blue shift in the non-trivial bandgap is seen, where it can be used to tailor the modes for the waveguide.