Photonics meets topology

The topological phases in materials have been studied in recent decades for their unique boundary states and transport properties. Photonic systems with band structures embrace the topological phases closely, where they not only provide platforms to testify the topological band theory, but also shed light on designing novel optical devices. In this review, we present exciting developments, supported by brief descriptions of prominent milestones of topological phases in photonic systems in recent years. These studies may sustain further developments of optical devices and offer novel methods for light manipulations. (C) 2018 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement