Tunable topological valley transport in two-dimensional photonic crystals

Abstract Recently, exploring the valley degree of freedom in photonic crystals has attracted considerable attentions since it opens up the possibility of extending valleytronics to optics. However, the fixed structural parameters limit the practical applications of valley photonic crystals. How to design steerable valley photonic structures becomes an important research topic. In this work, we design a tunable valley photonic crystal using an array of regular triangular metal rods embedded in liquid crystals. Electrically controlled valley-selective excitation, valley-locked beam splitting behavior and valley-projected edge transportation have been numerically demonstrated. Using these novel effects, a switchable valley filter device has also been designed. Our proposed valley-based photonic devices are beneficial for the development of robust wave manipulation.