A hybrid-frequency on-chip programmable synthetic-dimension simulator with arbitrary couplings

A hybrid-frequency on-chip programmable synthetic-dimension simulator with arbitrary couplings | 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 A hybrid-frequency on-chip programmable synthetic-dimension simulator with arbitrary couplings Jian-Shun Tang, Xiao-Dong Zeng, Zhao-An Wang, Jia-Ming Ren, Yi-Tao Wang, and 14 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7873285/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 24 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in Light: Science & Applications → Version 1 posted 11 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract High-performance photonic chips provide a powerful platform for analog computing, enabling the simulation of high-dimensional physical systems using low-dimensional devices with additional synthetic dimensions. The realization of large-scale complex simulations necessitates an architecture capable of arbitrary coupling configurations (encompassing symmetric, asymmetric and long-range coupling schemes) which is also crucial for scaling up. Previous approaches rely on excessive physical components to introduce asymmetric coupling, however, are restricted in reconfiguring and scaling by the relatively complicated structures. Here, to solve this problem, we propose a hybrid-frequency synthetic-dimension simulator architecture that combines both intra-resonant and inter-resonant frequency-lattice sites, and experimentally demonstrate it using the thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) photonic chip. Employing this hybrid programmable architecture, we are able to simulate both the regular and long-range coupled forms of diverse compound-lattice models, such as the Hall ladder, Creutz ladder (symmetric) and Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH, asymmetric) model, on a single chip, simultaneously reducing the experimental requirements significantly. As results, the direct readout of the bandstructure of the SSH model is able to be achieved, to be distinguished from all previous works, and important phenomena such as spin-momentum locking, topological flat band and Aharonov-Bohm cage effect are also observed with lower experimental requirements. Furthermore, applications like piecewise-continuous optical frequency shifting can be enabled by cascading our devices. Our results offer promising insights for future large-scale complex on-chip simulators with arbitrary couplings. Physical sciences/Physics/Optical physics/Quantum optics Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Other photonics/Frequency combs Physical sciences/Physics/Electronics, photonics and device physics/Photonic devices Full Text Additional Declarations There is no conflict of interest Supplementary Files SupplementaryInformation.pdf Supplementary Information Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 24 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in Light: Science & Applications → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: revise 19 Dec, 2025 Review # 3 received at journal 30 Nov, 2025 Review # 2 received at journal 03 Nov, 2025 Review # 1 received at journal 30 Oct, 2025 Reviewer # 3 agreed at journal 26 Oct, 2025 Reviewer # 2 agreed at journal 24 Oct, 2025 Reviewer # 1 agreed at journal 24 Oct, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 24 Oct, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 20 Oct, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 16 Oct, 2025 First submitted to journal 16 Oct, 2025 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. 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couplings\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"light-science-and-applications","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"lsa","sideBox":"Learn more about [Light: Science \u0026 Applications](http://www.nature.com/lsa/)","snPcode":"41377","submissionUrl":"https://mts-lsa.nature.com/","title":"Light: Science \u0026 Applications","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"Nature 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The realization of large-scale complex simulations necessitates an architecture capable of arbitrary coupling configurations (encompassing symmetric, asymmetric and long-range coupling schemes) which is also crucial for scaling up. Previous approaches rely on excessive physical components to introduce asymmetric coupling, however, are restricted in reconfiguring and scaling by the relatively complicated structures. Here, to solve this problem, we propose a hybrid-frequency synthetic-dimension simulator architecture that combines both intra-resonant and inter-resonant frequency-lattice sites, and experimentally demonstrate it using the thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) photonic chip. Employing this hybrid programmable architecture, we are able to simulate both the regular and long-range coupled forms of diverse compound-lattice models, such as the Hall ladder, Creutz ladder (symmetric) and Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH, asymmetric) model, on a single chip, simultaneously reducing the experimental requirements significantly. As results, the direct readout of the bandstructure of the SSH model is able to be achieved, to be distinguished from all previous works, and important phenomena such as spin-momentum locking, topological flat band and Aharonov-Bohm cage effect are also observed with lower experimental requirements. Furthermore, applications like piecewise-continuous optical frequency shifting can be enabled by cascading our devices. Our results offer promising insights for future large-scale complex on-chip simulators with arbitrary couplings.","manuscriptTitle":"A hybrid-frequency on-chip programmable synthetic-dimension simulator with arbitrary couplings","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-11-03 08:36:24","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7873285/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"revise","date":"2025-12-19T11:36:49+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"This content is not available.","date":"2025-12-01T01:41:26+00:00","index":3,"fulltext":"This content is not available."},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"This content is not available.","date":"2025-11-03T19:27:33+00:00","index":2,"fulltext":"This content is not available."},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"This content is not available.","date":"2025-10-31T01:40:22+00:00","index":1,"fulltext":"This content is not available."},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"This content is not available.","date":"2025-10-26T16:44:15+00:00","index":3,"fulltext":"This content is not available."},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"This content is not available.","date":"2025-10-24T17:19:17+00:00","index":2,"fulltext":"This content is not available."},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"This content is not available.","date":"2025-10-24T12:26:24+00:00","index":1,"fulltext":"This content is not available."},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-10-24T12:24:04+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-10-20T04:05:39+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-10-16T04:45:24+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Light: Science \u0026 Applications","date":"2025-10-16T04:45:23+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"light-science-and-applications","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"lsa","sideBox":"Learn more about [Light: Science \u0026 Applications](http://www.nature.com/lsa/)","snPcode":"41377","submissionUrl":"https://mts-lsa.nature.com/","title":"Light: Science \u0026 Applications","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"Nature AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"ef413810-f070-4b63-ad88-5d9d6a957a7a","owner":[],"postedDate":"November 3rd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[{"id":57321360,"name":"Physical sciences/Physics/Optical physics/Quantum optics"},{"id":57321361,"name":"Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Other photonics/Frequency combs"},{"id":57321362,"name":"Physical sciences/Physics/Electronics, photonics and device physics/Photonic devices"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-24T07:06:58+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-7873285","link":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-026-02309-2","journal":{"identity":"light-science-and-applications","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Light: Science \u0026 Applications"},"publishedOn":"2026-04-24 04:00:00","publishedOnDateReadable":"April 24th, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-11-03 08:36:24","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1038/s41377-026-02309-2","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-026-02309-2","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7873285","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7873285","identity":"rs-7873285","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}