Twisted light from topological chiral exceptional points in a nanolaser array

Twisted light from topological chiral exceptional points in a nanolaser array | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Twisted light from topological chiral exceptional points in a nanolaser array Alejandro Yacomotti, Kaiwen Ji, Melissa Hedir, Qi Zhong, Ramy El-Ganainy, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7075979/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract We propose and experimentally demonstrate an orbital angular momentum (OAM) nanolaser array arranged in a ring geometry on an InP-based photonic crystal membrane. The device realizes a non-Hermitian extension of the Rice-Mele model, featuring alternating coupling strengths and imaginary on-site detunings. This configuration supports a symmetry-protected zero mode stabilized by non-Hermitian particle-hole symmetry, which enforces a uniform π/2 phase shift between adjacent nanolasers—establishing a coherent phase winding around the array. By adjusting the gain/loss contrast in a parity-time (PT)-like pumping scheme, the system can be tuned to a chiral exceptional point, where energy flows unidirectionally between nanocavities despite their reciprocal coupling. This symmetry-enforced, directional tunneling leads to far-field emission carrying non-zero OAM, providing a direct signature of the phase-structured lasing mode. Our results demonstrate a robust and scalable strategy for engineering compact, phase-locked laser arrays with controllable angular momentum output, and open new avenues for structured light generation in integrated photonic platforms. Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Lasers, LEDs and light sources/Semiconductor lasers Physical sciences/Physics/Electronics, photonics and device physics/Photonic devices Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files TopologicalchiralEPSM.pdf Supplementary Information for “Twisted light from topological chiral exceptional points in a nanolaser array” Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7075979","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":489806922,"identity":"d6712f57-5695-4821-9af5-f78e4ff4ebbc","order_by":0,"name":"Alejandro Yacomotti","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0570-0749","institution":"LP2N/Institut d'Optique","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Alejandro","middleName":"","lastName":"Yacomotti","suffix":""},{"id":489806923,"identity":"90624425-5ac8-421d-bfbc-16663f0a9eca","order_by":1,"name":"Kaiwen Ji","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"LP2N/Institut d'Optique","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kaiwen","middleName":"","lastName":"Ji","suffix":""},{"id":489806924,"identity":"f3b7ab81-ec2e-4ae3-b58d-f4fbac446809","order_by":2,"name":"Melissa Hedir","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"CEA","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Melissa","middleName":"","lastName":"Hedir","suffix":""},{"id":489806925,"identity":"8914760d-8d8b-49d8-8ea6-c4bc31ff3f52","order_by":3,"name":"Qi Zhong","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"MTU","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Qi","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhong","suffix":""},{"id":489806926,"identity":"0c46eb87-5315-429a-920c-73365bf45dc8","order_by":4,"name":"Ramy El-Ganainy","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Saint Louis University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ramy","middleName":"","lastName":"El-Ganainy","suffix":""},{"id":489806927,"identity":"6e9624ff-753a-4c28-9e5e-286c614647e8","order_by":5,"name":"Li Ge","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1922-4464","institution":"CUNY","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Li","middleName":"","lastName":"Ge","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-07-08 14:43:52","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7075979/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7075979/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":93011973,"identity":"a08897fa-002a-454d-80e2-a22dc802c754","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-08 07:20:43","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1730927,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Article File","description":"","filename":"TopologicalchiralEP.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7075979/v1_covered_5c856280-f693-4faa-82d1-27aff67b03e8.pdf"},{"id":93010087,"identity":"aab1cd9c-8cce-4bfa-bb62-ded00d0d7b1a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-08 07:12:36","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":5294387,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Supplementary Information for \u0026#x201C;Twisted light from topological chiral exceptional points in a nanolaser array\u0026#x201D;","description":"","filename":"TopologicalchiralEPSM.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7075979/v1/59d9ee33b3ef1a0c0fbf02ee.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"There is \u003cb\u003eNO\u003c/b\u003e Competing Interest.","formattedTitle":"Twisted light from topological chiral exceptional points in a nanolaser array","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"nature-portfolio","isNatureJournal":true,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Nature Portfolio","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":false,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7075979/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7075979/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"We propose and experimentally demonstrate an orbital angular momentum (OAM) nanolaser array arranged in a ring geometry on an InP-based photonic crystal membrane. The device realizes a non-Hermitian extension of the Rice-Mele model, featuring alternating coupling strengths and imaginary on-site detunings. This configuration supports a symmetry-protected zero mode stabilized by non-Hermitian particle-hole symmetry, which enforces a uniform π/2 phase shift between adjacent nanolasers—establishing a coherent phase winding around the array. By adjusting the gain/loss contrast in a parity-time (PT)-like pumping scheme, the system can be tuned to a chiral exceptional point, where energy flows unidirectionally between nanocavities despite their reciprocal coupling. This symmetry-enforced, directional tunneling leads to far-field emission carrying non-zero OAM, providing a direct signature of the phase-structured lasing mode. Our results demonstrate a robust and scalable strategy for engineering compact, phase-locked laser arrays with controllable angular momentum output, and open new avenues for structured light generation in integrated photonic platforms.","manuscriptTitle":"Twisted light from topological chiral exceptional points in a nanolaser array","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-10-08 07:12:31","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7075979/v1","editorialEvents":[],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"nature-nanotechnology","isNatureJournal":true,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"nnano","sideBox":"Learn more about [Nature Nanotechnology](http://www.nature.com/nnano/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Nature Nanotechnology","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"Nature Research","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"e7366384-0266-4a5f-8152-975bc058af33","owner":[],"postedDate":"October 8th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[{"id":52002594,"name":"Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Lasers, LEDs and light sources/Semiconductor lasers"},{"id":52002595,"name":"Physical sciences/Physics/Electronics, photonics and device physics/Photonic devices"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-10-08T07:12:31+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-10-08 07:12:31","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7075979","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7075979","identity":"rs-7075979","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}