Speaker
Description
Optical skyrmions are topological structures that have attracted significant interest due to their robustness and versatility across a wide range of optical platforms. In quantum optics, they have emerged as a promising resource for robust quantum information encoding. However, existing methods for generating optical skyrmions typically rely on bulky optical systems and are generally limited to producing states characterised by a single topological invariant. Here, we demonstrate the generation of non-local quantum topologies using a compact platform based on a single J-plate metasurface, leveraging recent advances in spin–orbit coupling metasurface engineering. By engineering the metasurface design, we generate six hybrid quantum states spanning six distinct topological classes. We further extend the functionality of the metasurface by interfacing it with high-dimensional orbital angular momentum (OAM) entanglement. This enables the creation of multidimensional quantum states containing multiple coexisting topological structures embedded within a single quantum state and revealed only through measurement of the entangled subsystem. Experimentally, we validate this concept by measuring three distinct topological states arising from a single metasurface-generated entangled state. These measurements demonstrate that different non-local topological structures can be selectively accessed through projective measurements, consistent with prior work on robustness and measurement-dependent topological observables in structured photonic systems. This provides a compact and scalable route to topology-enabled quantum state engineering. Our results establish Metasurfaces as versatile generators of non-local quantum topologies and highlight their potential for integration into miniaturised photonic platforms for high-dimensional quantum communication, quantum information processing, and topological quantum photonics.
| I am the presenting author | Yes |
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