Physicists uncover the topological origin of surface electromagnetic waves
Monday, February 4, 2019 - 12:10
in Physics & Chemistry
In work that provides insights for several areas of wave physics -- Maxwell electromagnetism, topological quantum states, and plasmonics/metamaterials -- scientists showed that the well-known surface electromagnetic waves at interfaces between homogeneous isotropic media, obtained within classical Maxwell's electromagnetism, also have a purely topological origin, similar to quantum topological states.