ASTRA · AbSorber of Topological electRomagnetic wAves

Recent advances in controlling the topological structure of light open up opportunities for new information and energy carriers with applications from telecommunications and spectroscopy to metrology, imaging, and remote sensing. However, despite the application potential of topologically structured light, its generation and detection remains a complex and challenging task that hinders practical applications. In our earlier ERC FLEET project, we developed methods for the generation and detection of topologically structured electromagnetic pulses and highlighted their exotic light-matter interactions. However, such complex approaches require specialist expertise and are sensitive to noise and perturbations. From the FLEET effort, the concept of a simple and compact detector of topologically structured light emerged based on geometrical phase resulting in robust broadband performance. This project aims at bringing this concept to life by developing a prototype of the topological light detector operating at the microwave part of the spectrum and assessing its performance in “real-world” conditions, while targeting applications in line-of-sight information transfer and energy harvesting.