Topological Corner Modes by Composite Wannier States in Glide-Symmetric Photonic Crystal

Abstract: Second-order topological insulators can be characterized by their bulk polarization, which is believed to be intrinsically connected to the center of the Wannier function. In this study, we demonstrate the existence of second-order topological insulators that feature a pair of partially degenerate photonic bands. These arise from the nonsymmorphic glide symmetry in an all-dielectric photonic crystal. The center of the maximally localized Wannier function (MLWF) is consistently located at the origin but is not equivalent with respect to the sum of constituent polarizations. As a result, topological corner modes can be identified by the distinctly hybridized MLWFs that truncate at the sample boundary. Through full-wave numerical simulations paired with microwave experiments, the second-order topology is clearly confirmed and characterized. These topological corner states exhibit notably unique modal symmetries, which are made possible by the inversion of the Wannier bands. Our results provide an alternative approach to explore higher-order topological physics with significant potential for applications in integrated and quantum photonics.