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arXiv:0906.0276 · Journal of Optics A Pure and Applied Optics

Coherent nonlinear optics and quantum control in negative-index metamaterials

A K Popov, S A Myslivets, Vladimir M. Shalaev

Published Sep 17, 2009• 16 citations

Abstract

The extraordinary properties of laser-induced transparency of a negative-index slab and parametric amplification for a backward-wave signal are investigated. The effects of the idler absorption and phase mismatch on the amplification of the signal are studied, and the feasibility of ensuring robust transparency for a broad range of control field intensities and slab thicknesses is shown. A particular option consisting of the independent engineering of a strong four-wave mixing response and the negative refractive index is proposed and its specific features are investigated. The feasibility of quantum control over the slab transparency in such a scheme is confirmed through numerical experiments. We thus show opportunities and conditions for the compensation of the strong absorption inherent to plasmonic negative-index metamaterials, and we further show achievable transparency through coherent energy transfer from the control optical field to the negative-index signal.

DOI: 10.1088/1464-4258/11/11/114028

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The extraordinary properties of laser-induced transparency of a negative-index slab and parametric amplification for a backward-wave signal are investigated. The effects of the idler absorption and phase mismatch on the amplification of the signal are studied, and the feasibility of ensuring robust transparency for a broad range of control field intensities and slab thicknesses is shown. A particular option consisting of the independent engineering of a strong four-wave mixing response and the negative refractive index is proposed and its specific features are investigated. The feasibility of quantum control over the slab transparency in such a scheme is confirmed through numerical experiments. We thus show opportunities and conditions for the compensation of the strong absorption inherent to plasmonic negative-index metamaterials, and we further show achievable transparency through coherent energy transfer from the control optical field to the negative-index signal.

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Optical negative-index metamaterials (NIMs) form a novel class of artificial electromagnetic materials. In this paper, we have shown the possibilities of compensation of strong losses in negative- and positive-index materials by two laser beams as well as of wavelength-selective frequency-tunable narrow-band filtering. Such feasibility of quantum switching from strong absorption to amplification via transparency is possible due to nonlinear interference effects accompanied resonant Raman-like and OPA-like processes in doped metamaterials. A possibility of generation of counter-propagating entangled right- and left-handed photons in doped NIMs in cavity-free regimes is investigated.

Second harmonic generation and optical parametric amplification in negative-index metamaterials (NIMs) are studied. The opposite directions of the wave vector and the Poynting vector in NIMs results in a "backward" phase-matching condition, causing significant changes in the Manley-Rowe relations and spatial distributions of the coupled field intensities. It is shown that absorption in NIMs can be compensated by backward optical parametric amplification. The possibility of distributed-feedback parametric oscillation with no cavity has been demonstrated. The feasibility of the generation of entangled pairs of left- and right-handed counter-propagating photons is discussed.