Experimental observation of topological quantum criticality

초록

We report on a photonic simulator of the critical state forming at the quantum phase transition between topologically distinct Anderson insulator phases. We observe a time-staggered profile in the circular photon polarization, which originates from the interplay of a chiral and sublattice symmetry, and has recently been suggested as a signature for topological Anderson criticality within the setup. We discuss the role of statistical detuning from criticality and show that the controlled breaking of phase coherence removes the signal, revealing its origin in quantum coherence. © 2024 authors. Published by the American Physical Society. Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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