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arXiv:1306.3746

Single-atom polarizer

Li, W. A., L. F. Wei

Published Jun 17, 2013• 0 citations

Abstract

Traditional polarizer provides a way to convert an unknown polarization into a specified polarization. According to Malus, the intensity of the transmission is directly proportional to the square of the cosine of angle between the transmission axes of the polarizer and the incident polarization. There, the intensity refers to the collective behavior of many photons. Here we propose a novel approach to realizing polarization-filtering at single-photon level. We discuss how a single planepolarized photon transports through a polarized analyzer generated by a single atom (the so-called "single-atom polarizer"), and provide a single quantum version of Malus's law. We investigate the quantum scattering of a single photon by a controllable four-level atom inside a one-dimensional waveguide. By using real-space theoretical approach, we obtain analytic expressions of the transmission spectrum of the photon. Then, our numerical experiments show that the transmitted probability of the incident photon can be controlled by selecting the polarized-dependent transition configuration of the driven atom. The application of such a single-atom polarizer to linear optical quantum information processing is also discussed.

DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1306.3746

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Traditional polarizer provides a way to convert an unknown polarization into a specified polarization. According to Malus, the intensity of the transmission is directly proportional to the square of the cosine of angle between the transmission axes of the polarizer and the incident polarization. There, the intensity refers to the collective behavior of many photons. Here we propose a novel approach to realizing polarization-filtering at single-photon level. We discuss how a single planepolarized photon transports through a polarized analyzer generated by a single atom (the so-called "single-atom polarizer"), and provide a single quantum version of Malus's law. We investigate the quantum scattering of a single photon by a controllable four-level atom inside a one-dimensional waveguide. By using real-space theoretical approach, we obtain analytic expressions of the transmission spectrum of the photon. Then, our numerical experiments show that the transmitted probability of the incident photon can be controlled by selecting the polarized-dependent transition configuration of the driven atom. The application of such a single-atom polarizer to linear optical quantum information processing is also discussed.

The single photon scattering in one-dimensional waveguide coupled to two separated atoms is investigated. The first atom is considered as a Λ system and the second one is taken as V -type configuration. The analytical expressions of the single photon scattering spectra are obtained. The calculated results show that the polarization conversion of single photon can be realized by controlling the distance between the two atoms due to the interference effects. The conversion efficiency can reach unit in the ideal case. Furthermore, the polarization conversion of the single photon also depends on the initial state of the Λ system. The influences of dissipations on the single photon polarization conversion are also shown.

We analyze the behavior of light as it passes through systems composed of polarizing filters at different angular orientations. The analysis is initially conducted in the context of classical optics, using Malus's Law to calculate the transmitted intensity for the cases of two perpendicular filters (0° and 90°) and three filters (0°, 45°, and 90°). We then apply quantum mechanics to describe the phenomenon using state notation and the probabilistic interpretation of the projection of the polarization states of photons.

Abstract Based on the dichroism induced by the optical pumping effect, a novel and effective configuration to select an arbitrary polarization distribution is proposed. The influence of the distribution of atoms in different Zeeman sub-levels is the main cause to realize the measurement or ‘filtration’ of the state of polarization. A detailed process of the optical pumping effect in our configurations is presented in the theoretical analysis. In the experiment, the flexible function of the atomic medium, such as a polarizer or a polarized filter can efficiently be realized by different polarizations of the pump beam. Four different kinds of vector beams are tested and the ability to analyze any kind of beam with arbitrary polarization distribution is proven in agreement with the prediction. This work has potential applications in atomic physics and polarization optics. Furthermore, it can provide a reference to atom-optical elements and atom-optical devices.

The inner-product, $ $, between a state vector,

|\\psi>

and its dual, $ $ is a solution of the Schrodinger wave equation. Using this analysis, ``questions about what decides whether a photon is to go through or not and how it changes its direction of polarization when it does go through a polarizing filter - a statement by Prof. Dirac - is unambiguously explained.

We investigate the quantum scattering involving a single photon and a chain of

N

polarized $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$-type three-level atoms inside a one-dimensional waveguide. By using a transfer matrix method, we obtain analytic expressions of eigenvectors of the Hamiltonian, which determine the polarization dependent transmission and reflection spectra for a single photon. We show that the scattering is most significant when the interatomic distance equals an integer multiple plus a quarter of the resonance wavelength. In such a configuration, an incident photon with an unknown polarization can be converted into a specified polarization with a transmission probability higher than that in polarizers obeying Malus's law.

ABSTRACT We investigate a polarization‐selective transport scheme based on two V‐type atoms chirally coupled to a waveguide, where each atom exhibits polarization‐dependent optical transitions. An external driving field coherently couples the excited states of the atoms, enabling efficient and controllable polarization conversion during photon transport. For an incident photon prepared in a single polarization state, the system exhibits polarization‐dependent unidirectional transmission and reflection, arising from the chiral atom–waveguide interaction. Moreover, the external driving field allows polarization conversion to occur selectively within the transport channels. When the incident photon is prepared in a superposition of polarization states, the system simultaneously realizes polarization‐selective transmission and reflection, with the transport behavior dynamically controlled by the driving field. This scheme provides a tunable platform for directional transport of single photon with different polarization components, offering a versatile platform for photonic systems with simultaneous control over polarization and propagation direction.