Realization of a Dirac-vortex topological photonic crystal fiber

Abstract Photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) that trap and guide light using photonic bandgaps have revolutionized modern optics with enormous scientific innovations and technological applications spanning many disciplines. Recently, inspired by the discovery of topological phases of matter, Dirac-vortex topological PCFs have been theoretically proposed with intriguing topological properties and unprecedented opportunities in optical fiber communications. However, due to the substantial challenges of fabrication and characterization, experimental demonstration of Dirac-vortex topological PCFs has thus far remained elusive. Here, we report the experimental realization of a Dirac-vortex topological PCF using the standard stack-and-draw fabrication process with silica glass capillaries. Moreover, we experimentally observe that the Dirac-vortex single-polarization single-mode is bound to and propagates along the fiber core in the full communication window (1260-1675 nm). Our study pushes the research frontier of PCFs and provides a new avenue to enhance their performance and functionality.