Optical switch device configured for topological light steering and related methods

A method for defining a topological light transport channel in a photonic lattice comprising:

• providing a photonic lattice including a photonic topological microring array comprising a plurality of site rings coupled via a plurality of anti-resonant link rings, a plurality of input light ports and a plurality of output light ports located at the plurality of site rings, wherein the plurality of input light ports and the plurality of output light ports are respectively connected by a plurality of topological light transport channels;
• emitting light through a spatial light modulator to produce an optical pumping beam that forms an optical pumping pattern of a desired shape on the photonic topological microring array of the photonic lattice, the shape of the optical pumping pattern defining a gain domain on the photonic lattice, the shape of the optical pumping pattern having a border and the optical pumping pattern creating a topological light transport channel through the site rings along the border;
• and
• wherein the topological light transport channel connects at least one input light port and at least one output light port of an optical switch device.