Topological robustness of classical and quantum optical skyrmions in atmospheric turbulence

Topological robustness of classical and quantum optical skyrmions in atmospheric turbulence | 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 Topological robustness of classical and quantum optical skyrmions in atmospheric turbulence Yijie Shen, Zhenyu Guo, Cade Peters, Nilo Mata-Cervera, Anton N. Vetlugin, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7539937/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 27 Jan, 2026 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The degradation of classical and quantum structured light induced by complex media constitutes a critical barrier to its practical implementation in a range of applications, from communication and energy transport to imaging and sensing. Atmospheric turbulence is an exemplary case due to its complex phase structure and dynamic variations, driving the need to fnd invariances in light. Here we construct classical and quantum optical skyrmions and pass them through experimentally simulated atmospheric turbulence, revealing the embedded topological resilience of their structure. In the quantum realm, we show that while skyrmions undergo diminished entanglement, their topological characteristics maintain stable. This is paralleled classically, where the vectorial structure is scrambled by the medium yet the skyrmion remains stable by virtue of its intrinsic topological protection mechanism. Our experimental results are supported by rigorous analytical and numerical modelling, validating that the quantum-classical equivalence of the topological behaviour is due to the non-separability of the states and one-sided nature of the channel. Our work blurs the classical-quantum divide in the context of topology and opens a new path to information resilience in noisy channels, such as terrestrial and satellite-to-ground communication networks. Physical sciences/Physics/Optical physics/Nanophotonics and plasmonics Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Optical techniques/Optical manipulation and tweezers Physical sciences/Physics/Optical physics/Quantum optics Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files suppmaterial.pdf Supplementary Materials Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 27 Jan, 2026 Read the published version in Nature Communications → 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. 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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-7539937","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":513015635,"identity":"a6cd2284-4a1b-4506-8d37-f3afbfdaf9a6","order_by":0,"name":"Yijie Shen","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA9ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACZoaEA0AqAcg6ABE5QLwWtgSIaoJaoACohceAOC0GxxkeHvjAUJfHL93z7fHHNgY5vhsJzB+/4NNymCHh4AyGw8WSc85uNzjYxmAseSOBTVqGgJbDPAwHEjfcyN0mAdQCZCSwMUsQ0vKHoS5x/42cZyAt9UAtzJ8JagGGW+IGiRw2kJYEgxsJDJIf8GiRBPmlx+Bw4owbaWYSZ85JGM4887BNGo8OBr7zZ5I//KioS+yfkfxMoqLMRp7vePLhjz/waFE4wJMAdB6cD/IEYwMzDx4t8g3sBzBFGfHZMgpGwSgYBSMOAAAEBlc8+x27ugAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6700-9902","institution":"Nanyang Technological University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yijie","middleName":"","lastName":"Shen","suffix":""},{"id":513015636,"identity":"75832680-76b1-462f-bd4e-b0cb66fed084","order_by":1,"name":"Zhenyu Guo","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4375-1560","institution":"Nanyang Technological University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zhenyu","middleName":"","lastName":"Guo","suffix":""},{"id":513015637,"identity":"998d2c8f-78c1-4066-bfdf-c13645a28405","order_by":2,"name":"Cade Peters","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4306-3602","institution":"University of the Witwatersrand","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Cade","middleName":"","lastName":"Peters","suffix":""},{"id":513015638,"identity":"34bbfe75-b3bd-4424-8b3c-7dc5a23f14a3","order_by":3,"name":"Nilo Mata-Cervera","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8464-5102","institution":"Nanyang Technological University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Nilo","middleName":"","lastName":"Mata-Cervera","suffix":""},{"id":513015639,"identity":"2a2fbd0f-221f-427c-9a69-dddddbb3582a","order_by":4,"name":"Anton N. 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