Bringing complex field physics to the tabletop: A photonic stage for non-Abelian gauge fields

For most theories in physics, the order of operations has little impact on the result. When setting a dial to a certain position, for example, it doesn’t matter whether it’s turned clockwise or counterclockwise—the result will always be the same. Yet for non-Abelian gauge theories, order does matter. These theories underpin the Standard Model, but to test their more subtle predictions, researchers have so far relied on enormous particle accelerators.