‘Topological’ laser can route light around corners 

It’s believed the breakthrough could lead to more efficient laser manufacture, as topological lasers could mitigate against minor defects in the build process. Current laser manufacture requires extreme levels of precision and has a high proportion of rejected devices. But topological states allow particles to flow around corners or over imperfections without scattering or leaking. The research - a collaboration between Leeds University and NTU Singapore - was based on that principle.   

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“Every batch of manufactured laser devices has some fraction that fails to emit laser light due to imperfections introduced during fabrication and packaging,” said Professor Qi Jie Wang, the lead scientist from NTU Singapore’s School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. 

“This was one of our motivations for exploring topological states of light, which are much more robust than ordinary light waves.”