Observation of a Localized Flat-Band State in a Photonic Lieb Lattice

Phys Rev Lett. 2015 Jun 19;114(24):245504. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.245504. Epub 2015 Jun 15.

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.