Orbital frontiers: harnessing higher modes in photonic simulators

Photonic platforms have emerged as versatile and powerful classical simulators of quantum dynamics, providing clean, controllable optical analogs of extended structured (i.e., crystalline) electronic systems. While most realizations to date have used only the fundamental mode at each site, recent advances in structured light – particularly the use of higher-order spatial modes, including those with orbital angular momentum – are enabling richer dynamics and new functionalities. These additional degrees of freedom facilitate the emulation of phenomena ranging from topological band structures and synthetic gauge fields to orbitronics. In this perspective, we discuss how exploiting the internal structure of higher-order modes is reshaping the scope and capabilities of photonic platforms for simulating quantum phenomena.