📄 Showing the "Simple" version — "Advanced" is not ready yet. Add it to favorites to help prioritize it. Ask for the full read

Light, discovered by Maxwell, behaves differently in different media. In a new study, researchers simulated a two-dimensional crystal that absorbs light and has magnetic properties. In it, light waves behave like passengers on a one-way escalator: they relentlessly move toward edges and corners, where they accumulate. The energy flow (described by the Poynting vector) is so robust that disturbances can't throw it off — the crystal structure sets the direction. Paradoxically, it's the energy losses that make light concentrate at the boundaries rather than scatter. The crystal acts like a funnel for photons, gathering them at the edges. Measurements of light intensity at the edge show a sharp increase. Previously, such effects were studied only in theory, but now this is a real object. Since light travels at a slower speed in the crystal than in a vacuum, engineers will be able to create optical chips, ultrasensitive sensors, and lasers without mirrors. Moreover, the frequency spectrum of the waves (the set of colors) is protected from distortions, confirming the unusual properties.

Original abstract

as written by the authors arXiv:2604.23209

We numerically study topological effects of electromagnetic (EM) waves in a two-dimensional (2D) non-Hermitian photonic crystal (PhC) composed of lossy magneto-optical materials. In this system, not only the EM wavefunctions but also the complex eigenfrequencies exhibit nontrivial topological properties. We demonstrate that the non-Hermitian skin effect, protected by point gaps in the complex eigenfrequency spectrum, emerges at both the edges and corners of truncated structures. This phenomenon has no counterpart in Hermitian systems. In addition, we identify non-Hermitian topological edge states originating from the nontrivial topology of the bulk bands. While most previous studies of non-Hermitian topology have focused on tight-binding models, our work addresses a continuous photonic system, providing a more realistic platform and offering a concrete route toward experimental realization of non-Hermitian effects.