Dresden 2026 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik

O 96: Plasmonics and nanooptics: Fabrication, characterization and applications

O 96.2: Vortrag

Freitag, 13. März 2026, 09:45–10:00, HSZ/0403

Topological quasiparticles in a bucket: water waves as an experimental platform for emulating optical nearfields — •Alexander Neuhaus, Pascal Dreher, Philipp Gessler, Michael Horn-von Hoegen, Karin Everschor-Sitte, and Frank Meyer zu Heringdorf — Faculty of Physics and Center for Nanointegration, Duisburg-Essen (CENIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, 47048 Duisburg, Germany

Optical near fields can host a variety of topological quasiparticles, including merons, skyrmions, skyrmion bags and optical vortices, but their nanometric spatial scales and femtosecond time dynamics make them difficult to access experimentally. Modern techniques, such as time resolved photoemission microscopy or nearfield scanning optical microscopy can image these field configurations, but they are both experimentally challenging. Here, we demonstrate a much simpler 3d printed experiment that can be used as a model system to emulate the behavior of optical nearfields with capillary-gravity water waves. Although water waves and surface polaritons are vastly different wave phenomena, the displacement vector field in the water can be described by surface wave equations that are similar to the equations used to describe surface polaritons. We reconstruct the displacement field of the water wave by fast checkerboard decomposition of videos of the water wave propagation. Water-wave experiments yield the same topological quasiparticles as observed in optical nearfields, yet they do so in seconds instead of hours of experimental time.

Keywords: topology; plasmonics; skyrmion; meron