Symmetries in Photonic Topological Insulators

Dear Colleagues,

A topological insulator supports some of the most fascinating properties for signal transport. It insulates in the bulk area but conducts along the edge and offers unprecedented robustness to defects and disorder, leading to advances in numerous research fields. As an extension of topological insulators from condensed matter physics, photonic topological insulators (PTIs) have been proposed and experimentally investigated from different approaches, analogous to the quantum Hall effect, quantum spin Hall effect, and quantum valley Hall effect. Generally, symmetry plays a crucial role in the study of PTIs, from their design to application. Various kinds of photonic devices with different functions can also be designed with the incorporation of symmetry, some of which might provide breakthroughs in their corresponding research fields.

In this Special Issue of Symmetry, we will focus on novel approaches, advanced technologies, and further applications in this field, as well as the consequences of the prevalent use of symmetry in theoretical and experimental studies on the design, fabrication, and application of PTIs. We welcome the submission of original research articles, reviews and communications on PTIs, which might be constructed by photonic crystals, metamaterials/metasurfaces, and related to symmetry or lack of symmetry.

Dr. Yun Shen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Symmetry is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• symmetry
• photonic topological insulators
• photonic crystals
• metamaterials/metasurfaces