Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, led by Taylor Hughes and Gaurav Bahl, have successfully demonstrated a new form of two-dimensional chiral flow, identified as rank-2 chirality, using a topological circuit network. This advancement could facilitate novel devices for filtering flows, optical beam engineering, and microelectronics. Traditional chirality confines flows to a single dimension; however, the team has extended this concept to two dimensions, allowing for more complex chiral behaviors. In this study, the researchers engineered a circuit network exhibiting non-Hermiticity, which ensures unidirectional flow by quickly dissipating undesired flow directions. This approach culminated in significant findings, including corner localization—a phenomenon unique to rank-2 chirality. The system accumulates flow at its boundaries, showcasing behaviors not previously observed. Potential applications for this innovation include devices that selectively filter photons based on their direction and advancements in semiconductor technology, allowing unprecedented control over electron flow. The researchers emphasize that exploring higher-rank chirality provides deeper insights into the universe’s possibilities, opening pathways to transformative technologies in electronic computation and communication. The study was published in Nature Communications.
