Zhaoyang Zhang, Feng Li, Guillaume Malpuech, Yiqi Zhang, Olivier Bleu, Sergei Koniakhin, Changbiao Li, Yanpeng Zhang, Min Xiao, Dmitry Solnyshkov
(Submitted on 14 Jun 2018 (v1), last revised 17 Jun 2018 (this version, v2))
Topological defects, such as quantum vortices, determine the properties of quantum fluids. The study of their properties has been at the center of activity in solid state and BEC communities. On the other hand, the non-trivial behavior of wavepackets, such as the self-accelerating Airy beams, has also been intriguing physicists. Here, we study the formation, evolution, and interaction of optical vortices in wavepackets at the Dirac point in photonic graphene. We show that even in a non-interacting two-component system the topological excitations appearing in a wavepacket can still be considered as "particles", capable of mutual interaction, with their trajectory obeying the laws of dynamics.