Topologically protected interface mode in plasmonic waveguide arrays

P A P ER Abstract Recent realization of nontrivial topological phases in photonic systems has provided unprecedented opportunities in steering light flow in novel manners. Based on the Su– Schriffer–Heeger (SSH) model, a topologically protected optical mode was successfully demonstrated in a plasmonic waveguide array with a kinked interface that exhibits a robust nonspreading feature. However, under the same excitation conditions, another antikinked structure seemingly cannot support such a topological interface mode, which appears to be inconsistent with the SSH model. Theoretical calculations are carried out based on the coupled-mode theory, in which the mode properties, excitation conditions, and the robustness are studied in detail. It is revealed that under the exact eigenstate excitations, both kinked and antikinked structures do support such robust topological interface modes; however, for a realistic single-waveguide input only the kinked structure does so. It is concluded that the symmetry of interface eigenmodes plays a crucial role, and the odd eigenmode in a kinked structure offers the capacity to excite the nonspreading interface mode in the realistic excitation of a one-waveguide input. Our finding deepens the understanding of mode excitation and propagation in coupled waveguide systems, and could open a new avenue in optical simulations and photonic designs.