Multi-class, multi-functional design of photonic topological insulators by rational symmetry-indicators engineering

An explicit topology optimization-based design paradigm is proposed for the design of photonic topological crystalline insulators (TCIs). To strictly guarantee the topological property, rational engineering of symmetry-indicators is carried out by mathematical programming, which simultaneously maximizes the width of nontrivial topological band gaps and achieves the desired quantized bulk polarization. Our approach is successfully applied to design photonic TCIs with time-reversal symmetry in two-dimensional point groups, higher-order magnetic TCIs, and higher-order photonic TCIs. This methodology paves the way for inverse design of optimized photonic/phononic, multiphysics, and multifunctional three-dimensional TCIs.