The topological rainbow laser based on synthetic dimensions.

A research team led by Professor Zeng Yongquan from Wuhan University's School of Electronic Information has made significant strides in the development of topological photonic devices with their latest work, "Topological Nanorainbow Laser", published in Science Advances.

This pioneering research explores the integration of topological photonic crystals with multi-wavelength lasers. The team introduced synthetic dimensions as a novel degree of freedom within III-V multi-quantum well material photonic crystal slabs, enabling the construction of topological resonant cavities with non-zero Chern numbers.

These cavities support multiple topological synthetic modes, arranged across spatial and frequency dimensions.

The team's innovation lies in developing high-performance topological nanorainbow lasers that feature low thresholds, broadband operations, high spontaneous emission factors, milliwatt-level output power, and ultra-compact size.

The research offers a high-performance, wavelength/spatial multiplexed multi-wavelength micro-laser source for on-chip photonics, with promising applications in broadband signal processing and optical computing.