Quantized pumping in disordered nonlinear Thouless pumps

Abstract

We investigate the dynamics of nonlinear optical Thouless pumps in the presence of disorder, using optical waveguide arrays. It was previously known that the displacement of solitons in Thouless pumps is quantized and may exhibit integer and fractional transport over the course of the pump cycle. Here, we demonstrate that, in disordered nonlinear pumps, quantization may be maintained despite the presence of disorder, even though it would not be in the linear domain. Moreover, nonlinearity allows pumps to be executed more quickly (i.e., less adiabatically). This may serve as a design principle for integrated non-reciprocal devices based on temporal modulation.