Experimental observation of topological Dirac vortex mode in terahertz photonic crystal fibers

Hongyang Xing; Zhanqiang Xue; Perry Ping Shum; Longqing Cong

doi:10.1038/s41377-026-02197-6

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Experimental observation of topological Dirac vortex mode in terahertz photonic crystal fibers

Original Articles

- Experimental observation of topological Dirac vortex mode in terahertz photonic crystal fibers
- Experimental observation of topological Dirac vortex mode in terahertz photonic crystal fibers
- Light: Science & Applications 2026年15卷第4期页码：1137-1145
- Affiliations：
  
  1.State Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber and Cable Manufacture Technology, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
  2.Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics Intellisense, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Author bio：
  
  Longqing Cong (conglq@sustech.edu.cn)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/s41377-026-02197-6
  中图分类号：
- 收稿：2025-09-23，
  
  修回：2026-01-07，
  
  录用：2026-01-13，
  
  网络首发：2026-01-30，
  
  纸质出版：2026-04-30
- Accepted：
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Hongyang Xing, Zhanqiang Xue, Perry Ping Shum, 等. Experimental observation of topological Dirac vortex mode in terahertz photonic crystal fibers[J]. Light: Science & Applications, 2026,15(4):1137-1145.

Xing, H. Y. et al. Experimental observation of topological Dirac vortex mode in terahertz photonic crystal fibers. Light: Science & Applications, 15, 1137-1145 (2026).
Hongyang Xing, Zhanqiang Xue, Perry Ping Shum, 等. Experimental observation of topological Dirac vortex mode in terahertz photonic crystal fibers[J]. Light: Science & Applications, 2026,15(4):1137-1145. DOI： 10.1038/s41377-026-02197-6.

Xing, H. Y. et al. Experimental observation of topological Dirac vortex mode in terahertz photonic crystal fibers. Light: Science & Applications, 15, 1137-1145 (2026). DOI： 10.1038/s41377-026-02197-6.

摘要

Abstract

Photonic crystal fibers have significantly advanced optoelectronics

enabling a wide range of applications from communications to sensing and imaging. A long-standing challenge in these areas has been achieving pure single-polarization single-mode (SPSM) waveguiding for high-quality information transmission. Traditional approaches

however

inevitably introduce polarization dispersion and operate within a narrow bandwidth. Recent advancements in topological phases offer a promising opportunity to access previously unattainable mode properties

though experimental demonstrations remain scarce. In this work

we present the first experimental observation of a topologically protected photonic Dirac vortex mode that supports pure SPSM propagation in terahertz fibers. Utilizing terahertz scanning near-field microscopic spectroscopy

we map the temporal

spectral

and spatial characteristics of the topological mode

providing insights into its mode profile

dispersion

effective area

and numerical aperture. We demonstrate a single linearly dispersed Dirac vortex mode with a single vortex polarization and a broad 85.7% fractional bandwidth. This breakthrough fills a crucial gap in the development of SPSM fibers and introduces a comprehensive methodology for exploring mode properties

paving the way for advancements in terahertz optoelectronics

topological photonics

and specialty optical fibers.

关键词

Keywords

references

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