arXiv subjects

Weixuan Zhang

Publications and source records attributed to Weixuan Zhang.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2023

Hyperbolic band topology with non-trivial second Chern numbers

Topological band theory establishes a standardized framework for classifying different types of topological matters. Recent investigations have shown that hyperbolic lattices in non-Euclidean space can also be characterized by hyperbolic Bloch theorem. This theory promotes the investigation of hyperbolic band topology, where hyperbolic topological band insulators protected by first Chern numbers have been proposed. Here, we report a new finding on the construction of hyperbolic topological band insulators with a vanished first Chern number but a non-trivial second Chern number. Our model possesses the non-abelian translational symmetry of {8,8} hyperbolic tiling. By engineering intercell couplings and onsite potentials of sublattices in each unit cell, the non-trivial bandgaps with quantized second Chern numbers can appear. In experiments, we fabricate two types of finite hyperbolic circuit networks with periodic boundary conditions and partially open boundary conditions to detect hyperbolic topological band insulators. Our work suggests a new way to engineer hyperbolic topological states with higher-order topological invariants.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Observation of flat-band localization and topological edge states induced by effective strong interactions in electrical circuit networks

Flat-band topologies and localizations in non-interacting systems are extensively studied in different quantum and classical-wave systems. Recently, the exploration on the novel physics of flat-band localizations and topologies in interacting systems has aroused great interest. In particular, it is theoretically shown that the strong-interaction could drive the formation of nontrivial topological flat bands, even dispersive trivial bands dominate the single-particle counterparts. However, the experimental observation of those interesting phenomena is still lacking. Here, we experimentally simulate the interaction-induced flat-band localizations and topological edge states in electrical circuit networks. We directly map the eigenstates of two correlated bosons in one-dimensional Aharonov Bohm cages to modes of two-dimensional circuit lattices.In this case, the two-boson flat-bands and topological edge states are detected by measuring frequency-dependent impedance responses and voltage dynamics in the time domain. Our finding suggests a flexible platform to simulate the interaction-induced flat-band topology, and may possess potential applications in designing novel electronic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Exploring topological phase transition andWeyl physics in five dimensions with electric circuits

Weyl semimetals are phases of matter with gapless electronic excitations that are protected by topology and symmetry. Their properties depend on the dimensions of the systems. It has been theoretically demonstrated that five-dimensional (5D) Weyl semimetals emerge as novel phases during the topological phase transition in analogy to the three-dimensional case. However, experimental observation of such a phenomenon remains a great challenge because the tunable 5D system is extremely hard to construct in real space. Here, we construct 5D electric circuit platforms in fully real space and experimentally observe topological phase transitions in five dimensions. Not only are Yang monopoles and linked Weyl surfaces observed experimentally, but various phase transitions in five dimensions are also proved, such as the phase transitions from a normal insulator to a Hopf link of twoWeyl surfaces and then to a 5D topological insulator. The demonstrated topological phase transitions in five dimensions leverage the concept of higher-dimensional Weyl physics to control electrical signals in the engineered circuits.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Observation of inverse Anderson transitions in Aharonov-Bohm topolectrical circuits

It is well known that Anderson transition is a disorder-induced metal-insulator transition.Contrary to this conventional wisdom, some investigations have shown that disorders could destroy the phase coherence of localized modes in flatbands, making the localized states melt into extended states. This phenomenon is called the inverse Anderson transition. While, to date, the experimental observation of inverse Anderson transitions is still lacking. In this work, we report the implementation of inverse Anderson transitions based on Aharonov-Bohm topolectrical circuits. Different types of disorders, including symmetric-correlated, antisymmetric-correlated and uncorrelated disorders, can be easily implemented in Aharonov-Bohm circuits by engineering the spatial distribution of ground settings. Through the direct measurements of frequency-dependent impedance responses and time-domain voltage dynamics, the inverse Anderson transitions induced by antisymmetric-correlated disorders are clearly observed. Moreover, the flat bands and associated spatial localizations are also fulfilled in clean Aharonov-Bohm circuits or Aharonov-Bohm circuits sustaining symmetric-correlated and uncorrelated disorders, respectively. Our proposal provides a flexible platform to investigate the interplay between the geometric localization and Anderson localization, and could have potential applications in electronic signal control.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Learning Variable Impedance Control for Aerial Sliding on Uneven Heterogeneous Surfaces by Proprioceptive and Tactile Sensing

The recent development of novel aerial vehicles capable of physically interacting with the environment leads to new applications such as contact-based inspection. These tasks require the robotic system to exchange forces with partially-known environments, which may contain uncertainties including unknown spatially-varying friction properties and discontinuous variations of the surface geometry. Finding a control strategy that is robust against these environmental uncertainties remains an open challenge. This paper presents a learning-based adaptive control strategy for aerial sliding tasks. In particular, the gains of a standard impedance controller are adjusted in real-time by a policy based on the current control signals, proprioceptive measurements, and tactile sensing. This policy is trained in simulation with simplified actuator dynamics in a student-teacher learning setup. The real-world performance of the proposed approach is verified using a tilt-arm omnidirectional flying vehicle. The proposed controller structure combines data-driven and model-based control methods, enabling our approach to successfully transfer directly and without adaptation from simulation to the real platform. Compared to fine-tuned state of the art interaction control methods we achieve reduced tracking error and improved disturbance rejection.

cs.RO↗

arXiv2022

MPC with Learned Residual Dynamics with Application on Omnidirectional MAVs

The growing field of aerial manipulation often relies on fully actuated or omnidirectional micro aerial vehicles (OMAVs) which can apply arbitrary forces and torques while in contact with the environment. Control methods are usually based on model-free approaches, separating a high-level wrench controller from an actuator allocation. If necessary, disturbances are rejected by online disturbance observers. However, while being general, this approach often produces sub-optimal control commands and cannot incorporate constraints given by the platform design. We present two model-based approaches to control OMAVs for the task of trajectory tracking while rejecting disturbances. The first one optimizes wrench commands and compensates model errors by a model learned from experimental data. The second one optimizes low-level actuator commands, allowing to exploit an allocation nullspace and to consider constraints given by the actuator hardware. The efficacy and real-time feasibility of both approaches is shown and evaluated in real-world experiments.

cs.RO↗

arXiv2022

Moire quasi-bound states in the continuum

The novel physics of twisted bilayer graphene has motivated extensive studies of magic-angle flat bands hosted by moiré structures in electronic, photonic and acoustic systems. On the other hand, bound states in the continuum (BICs) have also attracted great attention in recent years because of their potential applications in the field of designing superior optical devices. Here, we combine these two independent concepts to construct a new optical state in a twisted bilayer photonic crystal slab, which is called as moiré quasi-BIC, and numerically demonstrate that such an exotic optical state possesses dual characteristics of moiré flat bands and quasi-BICs. To illustrate the mechanism for the formation of moiré flat bands, we develop an effective model at the center of the Brillouin zone and show that moiré flat bands could be fulfilled by balancing the interlayer coupling strength and the twist angle around the band edge above the light line. Moreover, by decreasing the twist angle of moiré photonic crystal slabs with flat bands, it is shown that the moiré flat-band mode at the Brillouin center gradually approaches a perfect BIC, where the total radiation loss from all diffraction channels is significantly suppressed. To clarify the advantage of moiré quasi-BICs, enhanced second-harmonic generation (SHG) is numerically proven with a wide-angle optical source. The efficiency of SHG assisted by designed moiré quasi-BICs can be greatly improved compared with that based on dispersive quasi-BICs with similar quality factors.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2022

High capacity topological coding based on nested vortex knots and links

Optical knots and links have attracted great attention because of their exotic topological characteristics. Recent investigations have shown that the information encoding based on optical knots could possess robust features against external perturbations. However, as a superior coding scheme, it is also necessary to achieve a high capacity, which is hard to be fulfilled by existing knot-carriers owing to the limit number of associated topological invariants. Thus, how to realize the knot-based information coding with a high capacity is a key problem to be solved. Here, we create a type of nested vortex knot, and show that it can be used to fulfill the robust information coding with a high capacity assisted by a large number of intrinsic topological invariants. In experiments, we design and fabricate metasurface holograms to generate light fields sustaining different kinds of nested vortex links. Furthermore, we verify the feasibility of the high-capacity coding scheme based on those topological optical knots. Our work opens another way to realize the robust and high capacity optical coding, which may have useful impacts on the field of information transfer and storage.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2022

Observation of novel topological states in hyperbolic lattices

The discovery of novel topological states has served as a major branch in physics and material science. However, to date, most of the established topological states of matter have been employed in Euclidean systems, where the interplay between unique geometrical characteristics of curved spaces and exotic topological phases is less explored, especially on the experimental perspective. Recently, the experimental realization of the hyperbolic lattice, which is the regular tessellation in non-Euclidean spaces with a constant negative curvature, has attracted much attention in the field of simulating exotic phenomena from quantum physics in curved spaces to the general relativity. The question is whether there are novel topological states in such a non-Euclidean system without analogues in Euclidean spaces. Here, we demonstrate both in theory and experiment that novel topological states possessing unique properties compared with their Euclidean counterparts can exist in engineered hyperbolic lattices. Specially, based on the extended Haldane model, the boundary-dominated first-order Chern edge state with a nontrivial real-space Chern number is achieved, and the associated one-way propagation is proven. Furthermore, we show that fractal-like midgap higher-order zero modes appear in deformed hyperbolic lattices, where the number of zero modes increases exponentially with the increase of lattice size. These novel topological states are observed in designed hyperbolic circuit networks by measuring site-resolved impendence responses and dynamics of voltage packets. Our findings suggest a novel platform to study topological phases beyond Euclidean space and may have potential applications in the field of designing high-efficient topological devices, such as topological lasers, with extremely fewer trivial regions.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Topology-optimized ultra-compact all-optical logic devices on silicon photonic platforms

The realization of all-optical integration and optical computing has always been our goal. One of the most significant challenges is to make integrated all-optical logic devices as small as possible. Here, we report the implementation of ultra-compact all-optical logic devices and integrated chips on silicon photonic platforms by topology optimization. The footprint for the fabricated all-optical logic gates with XOR and OR functions is only 1.3*1.3 μm2 (~0.84λ*0.84λ), that are the smallest all-optical dielectric logic devices ever verified in experiments in the optical communication range. The ultra-low loss of the optical signal is also demonstrated experimentally (-0.96dB). Furthermore, an integrated chip containing seven major logic gates (AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR, and XNOR) and a half adder is fabricated, where the associated footprint is only 1.3*4.5 μm2. Our work opens up a new path towards practical all-optical integration and optical computing.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2021

Moiré circuits: engineering magic-angle behaviors

Moiré superlattices in the twisted bilayer graphene provide an unprecedented platform to investigate a wide range of exotic quantum phenomena. Recently, the twist degree of freedom has been introduced into various classical wave systems, giving rise to new ideas for the wave control. The question is whether twistronics and moiré physics can be extended to electronics with potential applications in the twist-enabled signal processing. Here, we demonstrate both in theory and experiment that lots of fascinating moiré physics can be engineered using electric circuits with extremely high degrees of freedom. By suitably designing the interlayer coupling and biasing of one sublattice for the twisted bilayer circuit, the low-energy flat bands with large bandgaps away from other states can be realized at various twist angles. Based on the moiré circuit with a fixed twist angle, we experimentally demonstrate the effect of band narrowing as well as the localization of electric energy when a magic value of the interlayer coupling is applied. Furthermore, the topological edge states, which originate from the moiré potential induced pseudomagnetic field, are also observed for the first time. Our findings suggest a flexible platform to study twistronics beyond natural materials and other classical wave systems, and may have potential applications in the field of intergraded circuit design.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Observation of anyonic Bloch oscillations

Bloch oscillations are exotic phenomena describing the periodic motion of a wave packet subjected to the external force in a lattice, where the system possessing single- or multipleparticles could exhibit distinct oscillation behaviors. In particular, it has been pointed out that quantum statistics could dramatically affected the Bloch oscillation even in the absence of particle interactions, where the oscillation frequency of two pseudofermions with the anyonic statistical angle being pi becomes half of that for two bosons. However, these statisticdependent Bloch oscillations have never been observed in experiments up to now. Here, we report the first experimental simulation of anyonic Bloch oscillations using electric circuits. By mapping eigenstates of two anyons to modes of designed circuit simulators, the Bloch oscillation of two bosons and two pseudofermions are verified by measuring the voltage dynamics. It is found that the oscillation period in the two-boson simulator is almost twice of that in the two-pseudofermion simulator, which is consistent with the theoretical prediction. Our proposal provides a flexible platform to investigate and visualize many interesting phenomena related to particle statistics, and could have potential applications in the field of the novelty signal control.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Observation of non-Hermitian many-body skin effects in Hilbert space

Non-Hermiticity greatly expands existing physical laws beyond the Hermitian framework, revealing various novel phenomena with unique properties. Up to now, most exotic nonHermitian effects, such as exceptional points and non-Hermitian skin effects, are discovered in single-particle systems. The interplay between non-Hermitian and manybody correlation is expected to be a more fascinating but much less explored area. Due to the complexity of the problem, current researches in this field mainly stay at the theoretical level. The experimental observation of predicted non-Hermitian manybody phases is still a great challenging. Here, we report the first experimental simulation of strongly correlated non-Hermitian many-body system, and reveal a new type of nonHermitian many-body skin states toward effective boundaries in Hilbert space. Such an interaction-induced non-Hermitian many-body skin effect represents the aggregation of bosonic clusters with non-identical occupations in the periodic lattice. In particular, by mapping eigen-states of three correlated bosons to modes of the designed threedimensional electric circuit, non-Hermitian many-body skin effects in Hilbert space is verified by measuring the spatial impedance response. Our finding not only discloses a new physical effect in the non-Hermitian many-body system, but also suggests a flexible platform to further investigate other non-Hermitian correlated phases in experiments.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Optimization and robustness of topological corner state in second-order topological photonic crystal

The second-order topological photonic crystal with 0D corner state provides a new way to investigate cavity quantum electrodynamics and develop topological nanophotonic devices with diverse functionalities. Here, we report on the optimization and robustness of topological corner state in the second-order topological photonic crystal both in theory and in experiment. The topological nanocavity is formed based on the 2D generalized Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model. The quality factor of corner state is optimized theoretically and experimentally by changing the gap between two photonic crystals or just modulating the position or size of the airholes surrounding the corner. The fabricated quality factors are further optimized by the surface passivation treatment which reduces surface absorption. A maximum quality factor of the fabricated devices is about 6000, which is the highest value ever reported for the active topological corner state. Furthermore, we demonstrate the robustness of corner state against strong disorders including the bulk defect, edge defect, and even corner defect. Our results lay a solid foundation for the further investigations and applications of the topological corner state, such as the investigation of strong coupling regime and the development of optical devices for topological nanophotonic circuitry.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2021

Active Model Learning using Informative Trajectories for Improved Closed-Loop Control on Real Robots

Model-based controllers on real robots require accurate knowledge of the system dynamics to perform optimally. For complex dynamics, first-principles modeling is not sufficiently precise, and data-driven approaches can be leveraged to learn a statistical model from real experiments. However, the efficient and effective data collection for such a data-driven system on real robots is still an open challenge. This paper introduces an optimization problem formulation to find an informative trajectory that allows for efficient data collection and model learning. We present a sampling-based method that computes an approximation of the trajectory that minimizes the prediction uncertainty of the dynamics model. This trajectory is then executed, collecting the data to update the learned model. In experiments we demonstrate the capabilities of our proposed framework when applied to a complex omnidirectional flying vehicle with tiltable rotors. Using our informative trajectories results in models which outperform models obtained from non-informative trajectory by 13.3\% with the same amount of training data. Furthermore, we show that the model learned from informative trajectories generalizes better than the one learned from non-informative trajectories, achieving better tracking performance on different tasks.

cs.RO↗

arXiv2021

Experimental Observation of Higher-Order Topological Anderson Insulators

Recently, a new family of symmetry-protected higher-order topological insulators has been proposed and was shown to host lower-dimensional boundary states. However, with the existence of the strong disorder in the bulk, the crystal symmetry is broken, and the associated corner states are disappeared. It is well known that the emergence of robust edge states and quantized transport can be induced by adding sufficient disorders into a topologically trivial insulator, that is the so-called topological Anderson insulator. The question is whether disorders can also cause the higher-order topological phase. This is not known so far, because interactions between disorders and the higher-order topological phases are completely different from those with the first-order topological system. Here, we demonstrate theoretically that the disorderinduced higher-order topological corner state and quantized fraction corner charge can appear in a modified Haldane model. In experiments, we construct the classical analog of such higherorder topological Anderson insulators using electric circuits and observe the disorder-induced corner state through the voltage measurement. Our work defies the conventional view that the disorder is detrimental to the higher-order topological phase, and offers a feasible platform to investigate the interaction between disorders and higher-order topological phases.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Topologically protected long-range coherent energy transfer

The realization of robust coherent energy transfer with a long range from a donor to an acceptor has many important applications in the field of quantum optics. However, it is hard to be realized using conventional schemes. Here, we demonstrate theoretically that the robust energy transfer can be achieved using a photonic crystal platform, which includes the topologically protected edge state and zero-dimensional topological corner cavities. When the donor and the acceptor are put into a pair of separated topological cavities, respectively, the energy transfer between them can be fulfilled with the assistance of the topologically protected interface state. Such an energy transfer is robust against various kinds of defects, and can also occur over very long distances, which is very beneficial for biological detections, sensors, quantum information science and so on.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2020

Topologically protected strong coupling and entanglement between distant quantum emitters

The realization of robust strong coupling and entanglement between distant quantum emitters (QEs) is very important for scalable quantum information processes. However, it is hard to achieve it based on conventional systems. Here, we propose theoretically and demonstrate numerically a scheme to realize such strong coupling and entanglement. Our scheme is based on the photonic crystal platform with topologically protected edge state and zero-dimensional topological corner cavities. When the QEs are put into topological cavities, the strong coupling between them can be fulfilled with the assistance of the topologically protected interface state. Such a strong coupling can maintain a very long distance and be robust against various defects. Especially, we numerically prove that the topologically protected entanglement between two QEs can also be realized. Moreover, the duration of quantum beats for such entanglement can reach several orders longer than that for the entanglement in a conventional photonic cavity, making it be very beneficial for a scalable quantum information process.

physics.optics↗