arXiv subjects

Biao Yang

Publications and source records attributed to Biao Yang.

64 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

Three dimensional photonic Dirac points in metamaterials

Topological semimetals, representing a new topological phase that lacks a full bandgap in bulk states and exhibiting nontrivial topological orders, recently have been extended to photonic systems, predominantly in photonic crystals and to a lesser extent, metamaterials. Photonic crystal realizations of Dirac degeneracies are protected by various space symmetries, where Bloch modes span the spin and orbital subspaces. Here, we theoretically show that Dirac points can also be realized in effective media through the intrinsic degrees of freedom in electromagnetism under electromagnetic duality. A pair of spin polarized Fermi arc like surface states is observed at the interface between air and the Dirac metamaterials. These surface states show linear k-space dispersion relation, resulting in nearly diffraction-less propagation. Furthermore, eigen reflection fields show the decomposition from a Dirac point to two Weyl points. We also find the topological correlation between a Dirac point and vortex/vector beams in classic photonics. The theoretical proposal of photonic Dirac point lays foundation for unveiling the connection between intrinsic physics and global topology in electromagnetism.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2017

Discovery of ideal Weyl points with helicoid surface states

Weyl points, serving as monopoles in the momentum space and laying the foundation of topological gapless phases, have recently been experimentally demonstrated in various physical systems. However, none of the observed Weyl degeneracies are ideal: they either offset in energy or coexist with trivial dispersions at other momenta. The lack of an ideal Weyl system sets a serious limit to the further development of Weyl physics and potential applications. Here, by constructing a photonic metamaterial, we experimentally observe an ideal Weyl system, whose nodal frequencies are pinned by symmetries to exactly the same value. Benefitting from the ideal Weyl nodes, we are able to map out the complete evolution of the helicoid surface states spinning around the projections of each Weyl nodes. Our discovery provides an ideal photonic platform for Weyl systems and novel topological devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Observation of photonic Fermi arcs in topological metamaterials

The discovery of topological phases introduces new perspectives and platforms for various interesting physics originally investigated in quantum context and then, on an equal footing, in classic wave systems, such as photonics, acoustics and mechanics. As a characteristic feature, nontrivial Fermi arcs, connecting between topologically distinct Fermi surfaces, play vital roles in the clarification of Dirac and Weyl semimetals and have been observed in quantum materials very recently. However, in classical systems, no direct experimental observation of Fermi arcs in the momentum space has been reported so far. Here, using near-field scanning measurements, we show the observation of a photonic Fermi arcs connecting topologically distinct bulk states in chiral hyperbolic metamaterials. To verify the topological nature of this system, we further observe backscattering-immune propagation of nontrivial surface wave across a three-dimension physical step. Our results demonstrate metamaterial approach towards topological photonics and offer a deeper understanding of topological phases in three-dimension classical systems.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2016

Sequential Monte Carlo Smoothing with Parameter Estimation

We propose two new Bayesian smoothing methods for general state-space models with unknown parameters. The first approach is based on the particle learning and smoothing algorithm, but with an adjustment in the backward resampling weights. The second is a new method combining sequential parameter learning and smoothing algorithms for general state-space models. This method is straightforward but effective, and we find it is the best existing Sequential Monte Carlo algorithm to solve the joint Bayesian smoothing problem. We first illustrate the methods on three benchmark models using simulated data, and then apply them to a stochastic volatility model for daily S&P 500 index returns during the financial crisis.

stat.CO↗

arXiv2016

Interference Evidence for Rashba-Type Spin-Split on Semimetallic WTe2 Surface

Semimetallic tungsten ditelluride (WTe2) displays an extremely large non-saturating magnetoresistance (XMR), which is the subject of intense interest. This phenomenon is thought to arise from the combination of perfect n-p charge compensation with low carrier densities in WTe2 and presumably details of its band structure. Recently, "spin texture" induced by strong spin-orbital coupling (SOC) has been observed in WTe2 by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). This provides a mechanism for protecting backscattering for the states involved and thus was proposed to play an important role in the XMR of WTe2. Here, based on our density functional calculations for bulk WTe2, we found a strong Rashba spin-orbit effect in the calculated band structure due to its non-centrosymmetric structure. This splits bands and two-fold spin degeneracy of bands is lifted. A prominent Umklapp interference pattern (a spectroscopic feature with involving reciprocal lattice vectors) can be observed by scanning tunneling microscopic (STM) measurements on WTe2 surface at 4.2 K. This differs distinctly from the surface atomic structure demonstrated at 77 K. The energy dependence of Umklapp interference shows a strong correspondence with densities of states integrated from ARPES measurement, manifesting a fact that the bands are spin-split on the opposites side of Gamma point. Spectroscopic survey reveals the ratio of electron/hole asymmetry changes alternately with lateral locations along b axis, providing a microscopic picture for double-carrier transport of semimetallic WTe2. The calculated band structure and Fermi surface is further supported by our ARPES results and Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations measurements.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

Evaluation of new large area PMT with high quantum efficiency

The neutrino detector of the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) is designed to use 20 kilotons of liquid scintillator and approximately 16,000 20-inch photomultipliers (PMTs).One of the options is to use the 20-inch R12860 PMT with high quantum efficiency which has recently been developed by Hamamatsu Photonics. The performance of the newly developed PMT preproduction samples is evaluated. The results show that its quantum efficiency is $30\%$ at $400 nm$. Its Peak/Valley (P/V) ratio for the single photoelectron is 4.75 and the dark count rate is $27 kHz$ at the threshold of 3 mV while the gain is at $1 \times 10^7$. The transit time spread of a single photoelectron is $2.86 ns$. Generally the performances of this new 20-inch PMT are improved over the old one of R3600.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2015

Plasmon Weyl Degeneracies in Magnetized Plasma

In this letter, we report the presence of novel type of plasmon Weyl points in a naturally existing material - magnetized plasma. In such a medium, conventional, purely longitudinal bulk plasma oscillations exists only along the direction of applied magnetic field (z direction). With strong enough magnetic field, there exist helical propagating modes along z direction with circular polarizations. The orthogonality between the longitudinal bulk plasmon mode and the transverse helical propagating modes guarantees their crossing at the bulk plasmon frequency. These crossing points, embedded in the bulk plasmon dispersion line, serve as monopoles in the k space - the so called Weyl points. These Weyl points lead to salient observable features. These include the highly intriguing observation that, at a magnetized plasma surface which is parallel to the applied magnetic field, reflection of an electromagnetic wave with in-plane wave-vector close to the Weyl points exhibits chiral behavior only in half of the k plane, which is bounded by the projection of the bulk plasmon dispersion line. We also verify the presence of 'Fermi arcs' connecting the two Weyl points with opposite chiralities when magnetized plasma interfaces with trivial photonic materials. Our study introduces the concept of Weyl photonics into homogeneous strongly dispersive photonic materials, which could pave way for realizing new topological photonic devices.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Topological Photonic Phase in Chiral Hyperbolic Metamaterials

Recently the possibility of achieving one-way backscatter immune transportation of light by mimicking the topological order present within certain solid state systems, such as topological insulators, has received much attention. Thus far however, demonstrations of non-trivial topology in photonics have relied on photonic crystals with precisely engineered lattice structures, periodic on the scale of the operational wavelength and composed of finely tuned, complex materials. Here we propose a novel effective medium approach towards achieving topologically protected photonic surface states robust against disorder on all length scales and for a wide range of material parameters. Remarkably, the non-trivial topology of our metamaterial design results from the Berry curvature arising from the transversality of electromagnetic waves in a homogeneous medium. Our investigation therefore acts to bridge the gap between the advancing field of topological band theory and classical optical phenomena such as the Spin Hall effect of light. The effective medium route to topological phases will pave the way for highly compact one-way transportation of electromagnetic waves in integrated photonic circuits.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

One-way helical electromagnetic wave propagation supported by magnetized plasma

In this paper we reveal the presence of photonic one-way helical surface states in a simple natural system - magnetized plasma. The application of an external magnetic field to a bulk plasma body not only breaks time-reversal-symmetry but also leads to separation of Equi-Frequency Contour surfaces (EFCs) to form topologically nontrivial gaps in k space. Interestingly, these EFCs support topologically protected surface states. We numerically investigate an interface between magnetized plasma, using a realistic model for parameter dispersion, and vacuum, to confirm the existence of one-way scatter-immune helical surface states. Unlike previous proposals for achieving photonic one-way propagation, our scheme does not require the use of artificial structures and should therefore be simple to implement experimentally.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Circular Polarizer Realized by a Single Layer of Planar Chiral Metallic Nanostructure

As a basic optical element, circular polarizer plays significant roles in signal transmission, measurements and life science microscopy. Three-dimensional (3D) chiral structures have been thought to be necessary to realize circular polarizers. Here we demonstrate theoretically and experimentally for the first time that a high-efficiency circular polarizer could be realized by a single layer of planar 2D chiral structure. Our proposed circular polarizer is based on unidirectional polarization conversion instead of circular polarization stop bands. Since two-dimensional planar structures present obvious advantage for fabrication and integration on chip, the proposed circular polarizer is of great interest in integrated optics and microscopy. It provides a novel scheme to manipulate polarizations of light wave, as well as Terahertz wave and microwave.

physics.optics↗