The quantum Zeno effect refers to slowing down of the decay of a quantum system that is affected by frequent measurements. Nowadays, the significance of this paradigm is extended far beyond quantum systems, where it was introduced, finding physical and mathematical analogies in such phenomena as the suppression of output beam decay by sufficiently strong absorption introduced in guiding optical systems. In the latter case, the effect is often termed as macroscopic Zeno effect. Recent studies in optics, where enhanced transparency of the entire system was observed upon the increase of the absorption, were largely focused on the systems obeying parity-time symmetry, hence, the observed effect was attributed to the symmetry breaking. While manifesting certain similarities in the behavior of the transparency of the system with the mentioned studies, the macroscopic Zeno phenomenon reported here in topological photonic system is far more general in nature. In particular, we show that it does not require the existence of exceptional points, and that it is based on the suppression of decay for only a subspace of modes that can propagate in the system, alike the quantum Zeno dynamics. By introducing controlled losses in one of the arms of a topological insulator comprising two closely positioned Su-Schrieffer-Heeger arrays, we demonstrate the macroscopic Zeno effect, which manifests itself in an increase of the transparency of the system with respect to the topological modes created at the interface between two arrays. The phenomenon remains robust against disorder in the non-Hermitian topological regime. In contrast, coupling a topological array with a non-topological one results in a monotonic decrease in output power with increasing absorption.
Fast and length-independent transport time supported by topological edge states in finite-size Su-Schrieffer-Heeger chains
National Chung Hsing University（中兴大学）；National Tsing Hua University（国立清华大学）；Institute of Photonics Technologies, National Tsing Hua University（国立清华大学光子技术研究所）；National Chang-Hua University of Education（国立彰化师范大学）；Soochow University（苏州大学）；University Sapienza（罗马第一大学）；Institute for Complex Systems, National Research Council (ISC-CNR)（国家研究委员会复杂系统研究所）；University of Ottawa（渥太华大学）；Research Center Enrico Fermi（恩里科·费米研究中心）；National Center for Theoretical Sciences（国家理论科学中心）；Center for Quantum Technology（量子技术中心）
Engineering Tunable Synthetic Su-Schrieffer-Heeger Chains in Liquid Crystal Microcavities
Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw（华沙大学物理学院实验物理研究所）；Institute of Applied Physics, Military University of Technology（军事理工大学应用物理研究所）；Institute of Chemistry, Military University of Technology（军事理工大学化学研究所）
Far-field radiation of bulk, edge and corner eigenmodes from a finite 2D Su-Schrieffer-Heeger plasmonic lattice
Instituto de Estructura de la Materia (IEM-CSIC)（物质结构研究所）；International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL)（国际伊比利亚纳米技术实验室）；Universidad de Valladolid（巴利亚多利德大学）；Technology Innovation Institute（技术创新研究所）；Centre of Excellence ENSEMBLE3 sp. z o.o.（ENSEMB3卓越中心有限责任公司）
