Plasmonic Moiré Superlattices Enable Scalable Topological Transitions with Invariants Spanning –58 to +58

Transitions represent a fundamental principle across numerous technologies, yet achieving both scalability and precise control over these transitions has proven challenging due to limitations in materials and structural design. Bo Tian, Xi Zhang, Ruitao Wu, and colleagues at Shenzhen University, alongside Yuquan Zhang and Xiaocong Yuan, now demonstrate a new approach using plasmonic Moire superlattices, offering a platform for large-scale and programmable transitions through careful manipulation of light waves. The team creates patterned optical structures, known as skyrmion lattices, within these superlattices, and importantly, they can control the fundamental properties of these lattices in a scalable manner, extending their values across a broad range while adhering to surprising constraints dictated by symmetry. This achievement establishes a versatile method for investigating transition mechanisms and exploring critical phenomena, potentially driving advances in structured light, photonics, and condensed matter physics.

This research demonstrates that plasmonic Moire superlattices offer a new platform for large-range and programmable topological transitions, achieved through precise control of light waves. By tailoring the phases of elementary light waves within hexagonal systems, the team created Moire-structured optical skyrmion lattices, opening new avenues for manipulating light at the nanoscale.

Skyrmions in Plasmonic Moiré Superlattices

This work establishes a new approach to controlling light by harnessing the unique properties of plasmonic Moire superlattices. These structures allow scientists to engineer light in ways previously unattainable, focusing on skyrmions, topologically protected patterns of light robust against disturbances. By creating and manipulating these skyrmions within the Moire superlattice, the team achieves unprecedented control over the flow of light, paving the way for advanced optical devices.

Programmable Topological Transitions in Light Fields

Scientists have demonstrated a new platform for controlling light using plasmonic Moire superlattices, achieving large-scale and programmable topological transitions. This work overcomes previous material constraints through precise wavefront engineering, successfully creating Moire-structured optical skyrmion lattices where topological invariants evolve in a controlled and scalable manner. Theoretical calculations predict these invariants span a remarkably wide range, constrained by symmetry, revealing a fundamental link between symmetry and quantization, which experiments confirmed.

Tunable Topological Transitions via Plasmonic Superlattices

This research achieves large-range and programmable control over topological transitions between distinct states of light by carefully engineering the phases of light waves within a hexagonal system. The team created optical skyrmion lattices whose properties can be predictably altered and scaled, exhibiting a broad range of topological invariants constrained by symmetry, establishing a fundamental link between symmetry and quantization. This level of control enables detailed exploration of transition mechanisms and critical phenomena, with potential applications extending beyond optics to other wave-based systems, including acoustics and quantum entanglement.