arXiv subjects

Xiaohan Cui

Publications and source records attributed to Xiaohan Cui.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Unsupervised learning of non-Abelian multi-gap topological phases

Recent experiments have successfully realized multi-band non-Abelian topological insulators with parity-time symmetry. Their topological classification transcends the conventional ten-fold classification, necessitating the use of non-Abelian groups, manifesting novel properties that cannot be described using integer topological invariants. The unique non-commutative multiplication of non-Abelian groups, along with the distinct topological classifications in the context of homotopy with or without a fixed base point, makes the identification of different non-Abelian topological phases more nuanced and challenging than in the Abelian case. In this work, we present an unsupervised learning method based on diffusion maps to classify non-Abelian multi-gap topological phases. The automatic adiabatic pathfinding process in our method can correctly sort the samples in the same phase even though they are not connected by adiabatic paths in the sample set. Most importantly, our method can deduce the multiplication table of the non-Abelian topological charges in a data-driven manner without requiring \textit{a priori} knowledge. Additionally, our algorithm can provide the correct classifications for the samples within both the homotopy with and without a fixed base point. Our results provide insights for future studies on non-Abelian phase studies using machine learning approaches.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Topological Singularities in Metasurface Scattering Matrices: From Nodal Lines to Exceptional Lines

Topological properties of photonic structures described by Hamiltonian matrices have been extensively studied in recent years. Photonic systems are often open systems, and their coupling with the environment is characterized by scattering matrices, which can exhibit topological features as well. In this work, we uncover that topological singularities can be manifested in the scattering matrices of two-dimensional periodic photonic systems with open boundaries in the third dimension, introducing a new topological approach to describe scattering. We elaborate the importance of symmetry and demonstrate that mirror symmetry gives rise to the formation of diabolic points and nodal lines in the three-dimensional frequency-momentum space, which transform into exceptional points and lines in the presence of material loss. These topological features in the eigenvalue structure of the scattering matrix manifest as vortex lines in the cross-polarization scattering phase, providing a direct link between the eigen-problem and observable scattering phenomena in the frequency-momentum space. We demonstrate these phenomena numerically and experimentally using a reflective non-local metasurface. These findings extend the concept of topological singularities to scattering matrices and pave the way for novel photonic devices and wavefront engineering techniques.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Realization of time-reversal invariant photonic topological Anderson insulators

Disorder, which is ubiquitous in nature, has been extensively explored in photonics for understanding the fundamental principles of light diffusion and localization, as well as for applications in functional resonators and random lasers. Recently, the investigation of disorder in topological photonics has led to the realization of topological Anderson insulators characterized by an unexpected disorder-induced phase transition. However, the observed photonic topological Anderson insulators so far are limited to the time-reversal symmetry breaking systems. Here, we propose and realize a photonic quantum spin Hall topological Anderson insulator without breaking time-reversal symmetry. The disorder-induced topological phase transition is comprehensively confirmed through the theoretical effective Dirac Hamiltonian, numerical analysis of bulk transmission, and experimental examination of bulk and edge transmissions. We present the convincing evidence for the unidirectional propagation and robust transport of helical edge modes, which are the key features of nontrivial time-reversal invariant topological Anderson insulators. Furthermore, we demonstrate disorder-induced beam steering, highlighting the potential of disorder as a new degree of freedom to manipulate light propagation in magnetic-free systems. Our work not only paves the way for observing unique topological photonic phases but also suggests potential device applications through the utilization of disorder.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Bulk-spatiotemporal vortex correspondence in gyromagnetic double-zero-index media

Photonic double-zero-index media, distinguished by concurrently zero-valued permittivity and permeability, exhibit extraordinary properties not found in nature. Remarkably, the notion of zero-index can be substantially expanded by generalizing the constitutive parameters from null scalars to nonreciprocal tensors with nonzero matrix elements but zero determinants. Here, we experimentally realize such a new class of gyromagnetic double-zero-index metamaterials possessing both double-zero-index features and nonreciprocal hallmarks. As an intrinsic property, this metamaterial always emerges at a spin-1/2 Dirac point of a topological phase transition. We discover and rigorously prove that a spatiotemporal reflection vortex singularity is always anchored to the metamaterial's Dirac point, with the vortex charge being determined by the topological invariant leap across the phase transition. This establishes a unique bulk-spatiotemporal vortex correspondence that extends the protected boundary effects into the time domain and exclusively characterizes topological phase transition points, setting it apart from any pre-existing bulk-boundary correspondence. Based on this correspondence, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a mechanism to deterministically generate optical spatiotemporal vortex pulses with firmly fixed central frequency and momentum, hence showing unparalleled robustness. Our findings uncover deep connections between zero-refractive-index photonics, topological photonics, and singular optics, opening the avenue for the manipulation of space-time topological light fields via the inherent topology of extreme-parameter metamaterials.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Topological photonic alloy

We present the new concept of photonic alloy as a non-periodic topological material. By mixing non-magnetized and magnetized rods in a non-periodic 2D photonic crystal configuration, we realized photonic alloys in the microwave regime. Our experimental findings reveal that the photonic alloy sustains non-reciprocal chiral edge states (CESs) even at very low concentration of magnetized rods. The non-trivial topology and the associated edge states of these non-periodic systems can be characterized by the winding of the reflection phase. Our results indicate that the threshold concentrations for the investigated system within the first non-trivial band gap to exhibit topological behavior approach zero in the thermodynamic limit for substitutional alloys, while the threshold remains non-zero for interstitial alloys. At low concentration, the system exhibits an inhomogeneous structure characterized by isolated patches of non-percolating magnetic domains that are spaced far apart within a topologically trivial photonic crystal. Surprisingly, the system manifests CESs despite a local breakdown of time-reversal symmetry rather than a global one. Photonic alloys represent a new category of disordered topological materials, offering exciting opportunities for exploring topological materials with adjustable gaps.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Trash to Treasure: Low-Light Object Detection via Decomposition-and-Aggregation

Object detection in low-light scenarios has attracted much attention in the past few years. A mainstream and representative scheme introduces enhancers as the pre-processing for regular detectors. However, because of the disparity in task objectives between the enhancer and detector, this paradigm cannot shine at its best ability. In this work, we try to arouse the potential of enhancer + detector. Different from existing works, we extend the illumination-based enhancers (our newly designed or existing) as a scene decomposition module, whose removed illumination is exploited as the auxiliary in the detector for extracting detection-friendly features. A semantic aggregation module is further established for integrating multi-scale scene-related semantic information in the context space. Actually, our built scheme successfully transforms the "trash" (i.e., the ignored illumination in the detector) into the "treasure" for the detector. Plenty of experiments are conducted to reveal our superiority against other state-of-the-art methods. The code will be public if it is accepted.

cs.CV↗

arXiv2023

Experimental realization of stable exceptional chains protected by non-Hermitian latent symmetries unique to mechanical systems

Lines of exceptional points are robust in the 3-dimensional non-Hermitian parameter space without requiring any symmetry. However, when more elaborate exceptional structures are considered, the role of symmetry becomes critical. One such case is the exceptional chain (EC), which is formed by the intersection or osculation of multiple exceptional lines (ELs). In this study, we investigate a non-Hermitian classical mechanical system and reveal that a symmetry intrinsic to second-order dynamical equations, in combination with the source-free principle of ELs, guarantees the emergence of ECs. This symmetry can be understood as a non-Hermitian generalized latent symmetry, which is absent in prevailing formalisms rooted in first-order Schr\"odinger-like equations and has largely been overlooked so far. We experimentally confirm and characterize the ECs using an active mechanical oscillator system. Moreover, by measuring eigenvalue braiding around the ELs meeting at a chain point, we demonstrate the source-free principle of directed ELs that underlies the mechanism for EC formation. Our work not only enriches the diversity of non-Hermitian degeneracies, but also highlights the new potential for non-Hermitian physics in second-order dynamical systems.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Hybrid MBlur: Using Ray Tracing to Solve the Partial Occlusion Artifacts in Real-Time Rendering of Motion Blur Effect

For a foreground object in motion, details of its background which would otherwise be hidden are uncovered through its inner blur. This paper presents a novel hybrid motion blur rendering technique combining post-process image filtering and hardware-accelerated ray tracing. In each frame, we advance rays recursively into the scene to retrieve background information for inner blur regions and apply a post-process filtering pass on the ray-traced background and rasterized colour before compositing them together. Our approach achieves more accurate partial occlusion semi-transparencies for moving objects while maintaining interactive frame rates.

cs.GR↗

arXiv2022

Hybrid MBlur: A Systematic Approach to Augment Rasterization with Ray Tracing for Rendering Motion Blur in Games

Motion blur is commonly used in game cinematics to achieve photorealism by modelling the behaviour of the camera shutter and simulating its effect associated with the relative motion of scene objects. A common real-time post-process approach is spatial sampling, where the directional blur of a moving object is rendered by integrating its colour based on velocity information within a single frame. However, such screen space approaches typically cannot produce accurate partial occlusion semi-transparencies. Our real-time hybrid rendering technique leverages hardware-accelerated ray tracing to correct post-process partial occlusion artifacts by advancing rays recursively into the scene to retrieve background information for motion-blurred regions, with reasonable additional performance cost for rendering game contents. We extend our previous work with details on the design, implementation, and future work of the technique as well as performance comparisons with post-processing.

cs.GR↗

arXiv2022

Symmetry-protected topological exceptional chains in non-Hermitian crystals

In non-Hermitian systems, the defective band degeneracies, so-called exceptional points (EPs), can form robust exceptional lines (ELs) in 3D momentum space in the absence of any symmetries. Here, we show that a natural orientation can be assigned to every EL according to the eigenenergy braiding around it, and prove the source-free principle of ELs as a corollary of the generalized Fermion doubling theorem for EPs on an arbitrary closed oriented surface, which indicates that if several ELs flow into a junction, the same number of outflow ELs from the junction must exist. Based on this principle, we discover three different mechanisms that can stabilize the junction of ELs and therefore guarantee the formation of various types of exceptional chains (ECs) under the protection of mirror, mirror-adjoint, or ${C}_2\mathcal{T}$ symmetries. Furthermore, we analyze the thresholdless perturbations to a Hermitian nodal line and map out all possible EC configurations that can be evolved. By strategically designing the structure and materials, we further exhibit that these exotic ECs can be readily observed in non-Hermitian photonic crystals. Our results directly manifest the combined effect of spatial symmetry and topology on the non-Hermitian singularities and pave the way for manipulating the morphology of ELs in non-Hermitian crystalline systems.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2022

Constrained tandem neural network assisted inverse design of metasurfaces for microwave absorption

Designing microwave absorbers with customized spectrums is an attractive topic in both scientific and engineering communities. However, due to the massive number of design parameters involved, the design process is typically time-consuming and computationally expensive. To address this challenge, machine learning has emerged as a powerful tool for optimizing design parameters. In this work, we present an analytical model for an absorber composed of a multi-layered metasurface and propose a novel inverse design method based on a constrained tandem neural network. The network can provide structural and material parameters optimized for a given absorption spectrum, without requiring professional knowledge. Furthermore, additional physical attributes, such as absorber thickness, can be optimized when soft constraints are applied. As an illustrative example, we use the neural network to design broadband microwave absorbers with a thickness close to the causality limit imposed by the Kramers-Kronig relation. Our approach provides new insights into the reverse engineering of physical devices.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2021

Photonic $\mathbb{Z}_2$ topological Anderson insulators

That disorder can induce nontrivial topology is a surprising discovery in topological physics. As a typical example, Chern topological Anderson insulators (TAIs) have been realized in photonic systems, where the topological phases exist without symmetry protection. In this work, by taking TM and TE polarizations as pseudo-spin degrees of freedom, we theoretically propose a scheme to realize disorder-induced symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phase transitions in two-dimensional photonic crystals (PCs) with a combined time-reversal, mirror and duality symmetry $\mathcal{T}_f=\mathcal{T}M_z\mathcal{D}$. In particular, we demonstrate that the disorder-induced SPT phase persists even without pseudo-spin conservation, thereby realizing a photonic $\mathbb{Z}_2$ TAI, in contrast to a $\mathbb{Z}$-classified quantum spin Hall (QSH) TAI with decoupled spins. By formulating a new scattering approach, we show that the topology of both the QSH and $\mathbb{Z}_2$ TAIs can be manifested by the accumulated spin rotations of the reflected waves from the PCs. Using a transmission structure, we also illustrate the trivialization of a disordered QSH phase with an even integer topological index caused by spin coupling.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2019

Realization of complex conjugate media using non-PT-symmetric photonic crystals

While parity-time (PT)-symmetric systems can exhibit real spectra in the exact PT-symmetry regime, the PT-symmetry is actually not a necessary condition for the real spectra. Here we show that non-PT-symmetric photonic crystals carrying Dirac-like cone dispersions can always exhibit real spectra as long as the average non-Hermiticity strength within the unit cell for the eigenstates is zero. By building a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian model, we find that the real spectra of the non-PT-symmetric system can be explained using the concept of pseudo-Hermiticity. We demonstrate using effective medium theories that in the long-wavelength limit, such non-PT-symmetric photonic crystals behave like the so-called complex conjugate medium (CCM) whose refractive index is real but whose permittivity and permeability are complex numbers. The real refractive index for this effective CCM is guaranteed by the real spectrum of the photonic crystals and the complex permittivity and permeability comes from the non-PT-symmetric loss-gain distributions. We show some interesting phenomena associated with the CCM, such as the lasing effect.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2019

Exceptional points and their coalescence of PT-symmetric interface states in photonic crystals

The existence of surface electromagnetic waves in the dielectric-metal interface is due to the sign change of real parts of permittivity across the interface. In this work, we demonstrate that the interface constructed by two semi-infinite photonic crystals with different signs of the imaginary parts of permittivity also supports surface electromagnetic eigenmodes with real eigenfrequencies, protected by $ PT $ symmetry of such loss-gain interface. Using a multiple scattering method and full wave numerical methods, we show that the dispersion of such interface states exhibit unusual features such as zig-zag trajectories or closed-loops. To quantify the dispersion, we establish a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian model that can account for the zig-zag and closed-loop behaviour for arbitrary Bloch momentums. The properties of the interface states near the Brillouin zone center can also be explained within the framework of effective medium theory. It is shown that turning points of the dispersion are exceptional points (EPs), which are characteristic features of non-Hermitian systems. When the permittivity of photonic crystal changes, these EPs can coalesce into higher order EPs or anisotropic EPs. These interface modes hence exhibit and exemplify many complex phenomena related to exceptional point physics.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2016

Superlens induced loss-insensitive optical force

A slab with relative permittivity $ε= - 1 + iδ$ and permeability $μ= - 1 + iδ$ has a critical distance away from the slab where a small particle will either be cloaked or imaged depending on whether it is located inside or outside that critical distance. We find that the optical force acting on a small cylinder under plane wave illumination reaches a maximum value at this critical distance. Contrary to the usual observation that superlens systems should be highly loss-sensitive, this maximum optical force remains a constant when loss is changed within a certain range. For a fixed particle-slab distance, increasing loss can even amplify the optical force acting on the small cylinder, contrary to the usual belief that loss compromises the response of supenlens.

physics.optics↗