title: Observation of a Localized Flat-Band State in a Photonic Lieb Lattice.
abstract: We demonstrate the first experimental realization of a dispersionless state, in a photonic Lieb lattice formed by an array of optical waveguides. This engineered lattice supports three energy bands, including a perfectly flat middle band with an infinite effective mass. We analyze, both experimentally and theoretically, the evolution of well-prepared flat-band states, and show their remarkable robustness, even in the presence of disorder. The realization of flat-band states in photonic lattices opens an exciting door towards quantum simulation of flat-band models in a highly controllable environment.
authors.affiliation: SUPA, Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sebabrata
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
authors.affiliation: SUPA, Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spracklen
authors.affiliation: SUPA, Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Debaditya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Choudhury
authors.affiliation: Center for Nonlinear Phenomena and Complex Systems, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 231, Campus Plaine, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium.|Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, Collège de France, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goldman
authors.affiliation: SUPA, Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Patrik
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Öhberg
authors.affiliation: SUPA, Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.affiliation: SUPA, Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Thomson