Light controlled topological plasmonics in a graphene lattice arrayed by metal nanoparticles

Abstract

The implementation of topology on photonics has opened new functionalities of photonic systems, such as the topologically protected boundary photonic modes. In this study, we investigate topological plasmonics in a graphene lattice arrayed with metal nanoparticles and irradiated by a polarized light. While surface plasmon polaritons are typically excited in such systems, our study shows that the system exhibits a different photonic response with observable edge photonic modes corresponding to distinct topological states. Importantly, we show that the topological phase transition between these states can be easily achieved by controlling the polarization of the external optical field, making it more feasible in experiments than changing the structural parameters. Our system provides a controllable platform for studying topological phenomena in photonics and has potential applications in nanoscale optical devices.