---
OA_place: repository
OA_type: green
_id: '21548'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: "Non-Abelian gauge fields provide a conceptual framework to describe particles\r\nhaving
    spins, underlying many phenomena in electrodynamics, condensed-matter\r\nphysics
    and particle physics. Lattice models of non-Abelian gauge fields allow us\r\nto
    understand their physical implications in extended systems. The theoretical\r\nimportance
    of non-Abelian lattice gauge fields motivates their experimental synthesis\r\nand
    explorations. Photons are fundamental particles for which artificial gauge fields\r\ncan
    be synthesized, yet the demonstration of non-Abelian lattice gauge fields for\r\nphotons
    has not been achieved. Here we demonstrate SU(2) lattice gauge fields for\r\nphotons
    in the synthetic frequency dimensions, a playground to study lattice\r\nphysics
    in a scalable and programmable way. In our lattice model, we theoretically\r\nobserve
    that homogeneous non-Abelian lattice gauge potentials induce Dirac cones\r\nat
    time-reversal-invariant momenta in the Brillouin zone. We experimentally confirm\r\nthe
    presence of non-Abelian lattice gauge fields by two signatures: linear band\r\ncrossings
    at the Dirac cones, and the associated direction reversal of eigenstate\r\ntrajectories.
    We further demonstrate a non-Abelian scalar lattice gauge potential that\r\nlifts
    the degeneracies of the Dirac cones. Our results highlight the implications of\r\nnon-Abelian
    lattice gauge fields in topological physics, and provide a starting point\r\nfor
    demonstrations of emerging non-Abelian physics in the photonic synthetic\r\ndimensions.
    Our results may also benefit photonic technologies by providing controls\r\nof
    photon spins and pseudo-spins in topologically non-trivial ways."
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: original
arxiv: 1
author:
- first_name: Dali
  full_name: Cheng, Dali
  last_name: Cheng
- first_name: Kai
  full_name: Wang, Kai
  last_name: Wang
- first_name: Charles
  full_name: Roques-Carmes, Charles
  id: e2e68fc9-6505-11ef-a541-eb4e72cc3e82
  last_name: Roques-Carmes
- first_name: Eran
  full_name: Lustig, Eran
  last_name: Lustig
- first_name: Olivia Y.
  full_name: Long, Olivia Y.
  last_name: Long
- first_name: Heming
  full_name: Wang, Heming
  last_name: Wang
- first_name: Shanhui
  full_name: Fan, Shanhui
  last_name: Fan
citation:
  ama: Cheng D, Wang K, Roques-Carmes C, et al. Non-Abelian lattice gauge fields in
    photonic synthetic frequency dimensions. <i>Nature</i>. 2025;637(8044):52-56.
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08259-2">10.1038/s41586-024-08259-2</a>
  apa: Cheng, D., Wang, K., Roques-Carmes, C., Lustig, E., Long, O. Y., Wang, H.,
    &#38; Fan, S. (2025). Non-Abelian lattice gauge fields in photonic synthetic frequency
    dimensions. <i>Nature</i>. Springer Nature. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08259-2">https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08259-2</a>
  chicago: Cheng, Dali, Kai Wang, Charles Roques-Carmes, Eran Lustig, Olivia Y. Long,
    Heming Wang, and Shanhui Fan. “Non-Abelian Lattice Gauge Fields in Photonic Synthetic
    Frequency Dimensions.” <i>Nature</i>. Springer Nature, 2025. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08259-2">https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08259-2</a>.
  ieee: D. Cheng <i>et al.</i>, “Non-Abelian lattice gauge fields in photonic synthetic
    frequency dimensions,” <i>Nature</i>, vol. 637, no. 8044. Springer Nature, pp.
    52–56, 2025.
  ista: Cheng D, Wang K, Roques-Carmes C, Lustig E, Long OY, Wang H, Fan S. 2025.
    Non-Abelian lattice gauge fields in photonic synthetic frequency dimensions. Nature.
    637(8044), 52–56.
  mla: Cheng, Dali, et al. “Non-Abelian Lattice Gauge Fields in Photonic Synthetic
    Frequency Dimensions.” <i>Nature</i>, vol. 637, no. 8044, Springer Nature, 2025,
    pp. 52–56, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08259-2">10.1038/s41586-024-08259-2</a>.
  short: D. Cheng, K. Wang, C. Roques-Carmes, E. Lustig, O.Y. Long, H. Wang, S. Fan,
    Nature 637 (2025) 52–56.
date_created: 2026-03-30T12:22:47Z
date_published: 2025-01-02T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-04-27T07:14:06Z
day: '02'
ddc:
- '530'
doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08259-2
extern: '1'
external_id:
  arxiv:
  - '2406.00321'
  pmid:
  - '39743600'
fulldoi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08259-2
intvolume: '       637'
issue: '8044'
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
  url: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2406.00321
month: '01'
oa: 1
oa_version: Preprint
page: 52-56
pmid: 1
publication: Nature
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 1476-4687
  issn:
  - 0028-0836
publication_status: published
publisher: Springer Nature
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Non-Abelian lattice gauge fields in photonic synthetic frequency dimensions
type: journal_article
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
volume: 637
year: '2025'
...