Experimental Realization of Higher-order Topological Water Wave Crystal

Abstract

Free-surface water waves provide a macroscopic platform in which topological localization can be measured through surface-elevation fields. Higher-order topological phases offer a route to localizing wave modes at structural corners, yet their experimental realization in water-wave systems remains largely unexplored. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a water-wave higher-order topological crystal, where surface waves are confined to structural corners and spectrally identified through measured free-surface responses. Bulk band analysis and finite-system simulations predict topological edge and corner states in the designed structure, while frequency-resolved surface-elevation measurements confirm the corresponding localized modes. The measured spectra and field distributions reveal pronounced in-gap corner localization consistent with the predicted higher-order topological modes. These results establish surface water waves as a directly measurable platform for higher-order topological physics, enabling spatial localization and spectral characterization of hydrodynamic wave modes.