Title: Exploiting Band Topology in Photonics

Speaker: Chong Yidong

Time:2025-10-21 10:00

Venue:Room W105, Physics Building

Abstract: Topological photonics is a field of photonics that aims to generate photonic structures inspired by topological phases of condensed matter, featuring optical modes that exhibit remarkably robust waveguiding, strong spatial localization, and other intriguing properties. However, properly harnessing these modes requires us to carefully consider the limitations and possibilities of topogical protection in the photonics context. In this talk, I will survey what topological photonics has, and has not, been able to achieve to date. I will discuss some of my research group's recent investigations along applied directions (topological photonic crystal fibers) as well as fundamental directions (non-Hermitian topological photonics).

Bio: Chong Yidong is a Professor of Physics at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. He received BSc degrees in Physics and Mathematical and Computational Science in Stanford University, and a PhD in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Prior to joining NTU as a faculty member, he worked for several years as a postdoctoral researcher at Yale University. His research interests lie in the field of photonics, including topics such as topological photonics and non-Hermitian photonics.