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Other literature type . 2025
License: CC BY
Data sources: ZENODO
ZENODO
Other literature type . 2025
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Other literature type . 2025
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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Photon Cohomology and Higher Gerbes: Topological Invariants of Photonic Sectors

Authors: de ceuster, peter;

Photon Cohomology and Higher Gerbes: Topological Invariants of Photonic Sectors

Abstract

We introduce Photon Cohomology, a differential cohomology theory tailored to classify photonic bundle data comprising ordinary U(1)-connections, higher gerbe potentials and multi-form couplings that arise in exotic photonic channels and engineered photonic media. Photon Cohomology is defined as the hypercohomology of a truncated Deligne-type complex (the photon complex) which encodes local connection 1-forms, gerbe 2-forms, and higher-form interaction data together with integral quantization. We construct a characteristic class in Photon Cohomology in degree 'n' whose non-triviality detects obstruction to trivializing photonic transmission channels and correlates with quantized flux and higher-holonomy. We prove existence and uniqueness of the characteristic class up to torsion under mild geometric hypotheses and provide a Cech–de Rham hybrid construction of representatives. Explicit sample calculations on the 3-torus exhibit a non-trivial characteristic class for canonical gerbe curvatures. Finally, we sketch numerical checks via finite-element discretization of curvature invariants and discuss experimental observables in photonic crystals and metamaterials. The theory relates naturally to differential cohomology (Cheeger–Simons/Deligne), higher gerbes and higher categorical Langlands-type correspondences for electromagnetic sectors.

Keywords

topology, photonic sectors, photonics, gerbes

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
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