Controlled transport based on multiorbital Aharonov-Bohm photonic caging

Abstract

The induction of synthetic magnetic fields on lattice structures allows to effectively control their localization and transport properties. In this work, we generate effective $\pi$ magnetic fluxes on a multi-orbital diamond lattice, where first ($S$) and second ($P$) order modes effectively interact. We implement a $z$-scan method on femtosecond laser written photonic lattices and experimentally observe Aharonov-Bohm caging for $S$ and $P$ modes, as a consequence of a band transformation and the emergence of a spectrum composed of three degenerated flat bands. As an application, we demonstrate a perfect control of the dynamics, where we translate an input excitation across the lattice in a completely linear and controlled way. Our model, based on a flat band spectrum, allows us to choose the direction of transport depending on the excitation site or input phase.