Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1408.0565 · Physical Review A

Quantum noise effects with Kerr-nonlinearity enhancement in coupled gain-loss waveguides

Bing He, Shubin Yan, Jing Wang, Min Xiao

Published May 18, 2015• 59 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

It is generally difficult to study the dynamical properties of a quantum system with both inherent quantum noises and nonperturbative nonlinearity. Due to the possibly drastic intensity increase of an input coherent light in gain-loss waveguide couplers with parity-time $(\mathcal{PT})$ symmetry, the Kerr effect from a nonlinearity added into the system can be greatly enhanced and is expected to create macroscopic entangled states of the output light fields with huge photon numbers. Meanwhile, quantum noises also coexist with the amplification and dissipation of the light fields. Under the interplay between the quantum noises and nonlinearity, the quantum dynamical behaviors of the systems become rather complicated. However, the important quantum noise effects have been mostly neglected in previous studies about nonlinear $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric systems. Here we present a solution to this nonperturbative quantum nonlinear problem, showing the real-time evolution of the system observables. The enhanced Kerr nonlinearity is found to give rise to a previously unknown decoherence effect that is irrelevant to the quantum noises and imposes a limit on the emergence of macroscopic nonclassicality. In contrast to what happens in linear systems, the quantum noises exert significant impact on the system dynamics and can create nonclassical light field states in conjunction with the enhanced Kerr nonlinearity. This study on the noise involved in quantum nonlinear dynamics of coupled gain-loss waveguides can help to better understand the quantum noise effects in many nonlinear systems.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.91.053832

Related papers

Effects of gain saturation on the quantum properties of light in a non-Hermitian gain-loss coupler

Saeid Vashahri-Ghamsari, Bing He, Min Xiao

Gain saturation is ubiquitous but has not been fully explored in the newly developed field of non-Hermitian optics. On the other hand, the nonclassical properties of light are highly relevant to the gain saturation that influences the quantum noise accompanying light amplification. In this paper, we systematically examine the gain saturation effects in a non-Hermitian system of coupled gain-loss waveguides. We explain the impact of gain saturation on a quantum light field dynamically evolving in the coupled system. In contrast to the ideal situation without gain saturation, one can achieve a quasisteady state under the gain saturation. Moreover, gain saturation reduces the influence of amplification noise and thereby better preserves such quantum features as entanglement. We illustrate the effects of gain saturation by examining the time evolution of the Wigner function, entanglement of the light fields, and the cross-correlation function between the two output modes. Significant differences exist between unsaturated and saturated situations, especially for low photon numbers.

Physical Review A•Feb 11, 2019•11 citations

Complete condensation of photon noise in nonlinear dissipative systems

Nicholas Rivera, Jamison Sloan, Yannick Salamin +1 more

Fock states are the most fundamental quantum states of bosonic fields, forming an important basis for understanding their quantum dynamics. As energy and number eigenstates, they have an exactly defined number of quanta, and most faithfully express the particle nature of fields. These properties make them attractive for many applications in metrology, and quantum simulation and information processing. Yet, Fock states are notoriously difficult to generate. The problem is especially acute in optics, where it is difficult to deterministically produce Fock states with more than a single photon, let alone at macroscopic scales. This is in part due to a dearth of mechanisms to produce large Fock states, as well as the deleterious effects of linear dissipation. Here, we introduce a new effect in the physics of nonlinear bosons, arising from the interplay of dissipation and Kerr nonlinearity. In this effect, a nonlinear resonance is dissipationless when it has a particular number of quanta (e.g., photons) inside it, and lossy otherwise. This loss, which results from nonlinear interference, leads to several new quantum statistical effects. For example, it leads to spontaneous condensation of intensity noise, which may enable generation of large Fock and extremely photon-number-squeezed states of light. We also show how this effect has implications for new classes of optoelectronic devices such as lasers, which can stabilize extremely low-noise states in an equilibrium between gain and the nonlinear loss that we introduce. Throughout the text, we present examples of systems that may realize these effects. In one, we show how the nonlinear dissipation could lead to optical Fock states of $n=1000$, while in another, we show how conventional laser architectures could be used to generate macroscopic light ($>10^{12}$ photons) with nearly 95% less noise than the standard quantum limit.

arXiv:2111.03099•Nov 4, 2021•2 citations

Nonclassical light at exceptional points of a quantum PT -symmetric two-mode system

Jan Peřina, A. Lukš, Joanna K. Kalaga +2 more

A two-mode optical parity-time ($\mathcal{PT}$) symmetric system, with gain and damping, described by a quantum quadratic Hamiltonian with additional small Kerr-like nonlinear terms, is analyzed from the point of view of nonclassical-light generation. Two kinds of stationary states with different types of (in)stability are revealed. Properties of one of these are related to the presence of semiclassical exceptional points, i.e., exotic degeneracies of the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian describing the studied system without quantum jumps. The evolution of the logarithmic negativity, principal squeezing variances, and sub-shot-noise photon-number correlations, considered as entanglement and nonclassicality quantifiers, is analyzed in the approximation of linear-operator corrections to the classical solution. Suitable conditions for nonclassical-light generation are identified in the oscillatory regime, especially at and around exceptional points that considerably enhance the nonlinear interaction and, thus, the nonclassicality of the generated light. The role of quantum fluctuations, inevitably accompanying attenuation and amplification in the evolution of quantum states, is elucidated. The evolution of the system is analyzed for different initial conditions.

Physical Review A•Nov 11, 2019•43 citations

Continuous-variable entanglement generation using a hybrid PT -symmetric system

Saeid Vashahri-Ghamsari, Bing He, Min Xiao

We study a system of two coupled waveguides respectively carrying optical damping and optical gain in addition to squeezing elements in one or both waveguides. Such a system is expected to generate highly entangled light fields in the two waveguides. Especially, if the light fields are strong enough, a macroscopic, continuous-variable entanglement can be achieved. We, however, show that the degree of the created entanglement is significantly affected by the quantum noises associated with the amplification and dissipation. The entanglement for the different configurations of the setup is quantified to illustrate how the quantum noises limit such entanglement as well as determine its actual time evolution patterns. In contrast to its sensitivity to the quantum noises, the degree of entanglement is irrelevant to the input light intensities, given the inputs in coherent states.

arXiv:1612.03996•Physical Review A•Sep 5, 2017•21 citations

Nonclassical light at exceptional points of a quantum PT-symmetric two-mode system

Jan Peřina, A. Lukš, Joanna K. Kalaga +2 more

A two-mode optical parity-time (PT) symmetric system, with gain and damping, described by a quantum quadratic Hamiltonian with additional small Kerr-like nonlinear terms, is analyzed from the point of view of nonclassical-light generation. Two kinds of stationary states with different types of (in)stability are revealed. Properties of one of these are related to the presence of semiclassical exceptional points, i.e., exotic degeneracies of the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian describing the studied system without quantum jumps. The evolution of the logarithmic negativity, principal squeezing variances, and sub-shot-noise photon-number correlations, considered as entanglement and non-classicality quantifiers, is analyzed in the approximation of linear-operator corrections to the classical solution. Suitable conditions for nonclassical-light generation are identified in the oscillatory regime, especially at and around exceptional points that considerably enhance the nonlinear interaction and, thus, the non-classicality of the generated light. The role of quantum fluctuations, inevitably accompanying attenuation and amplification in the evolution of quantum states, is elucidated. The evolution of the system is analyzed for different initial conditions.

arXiv:1910.10690•Oct 23, 2019•1 citation

Surpassing Quantum Noise Limits with Nonlinear Amplification

Ya-Long Ren, Rong-Teng Cao, Sheng-Li Ma +4 more

Linear quantum amplifiers are indispensable tools for quantum technologies, yet their performance is fundamentally limited by quantum noise, precluding any signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) enhancement unless supplemented by post-selection or non-classical resources. To surpass this limitation, we propose a nonlinear quantum amplification strategy that exploits the interplay between a gain-stabilized bright eigenmode of a coupled two-mode bosonic system and Kerr nonlinearity. We demonstrate that this interplay enables the signal gain to surpass the noise gain in a selected quadrature, leading to a net increase in the SNR beyond the quantum limits of conventional linear amplifiers. Our work thus establishes a novel nonlinear amplification paradigm capable of enhancing the SNR, with promising applications across quantum information processing, quantum communications, and quantum metrology.

quant-pharXiv:2603.11574•Mar 13, 2026•0 citations
It is generally difficult to study the dynamical properties of a quantum system with both inherent quantum noises and nonperturbative nonlinearity. Due to the possibly drastic intensity increase of an input coherent light in gain-loss waveguide couplers with parity-time (PT)(\mathcal{PT})(PT) symmetry, the Kerr effect from a nonlinearity added into the system can be greatly enhanced and is expected to create macroscopic entangled states of the output light fields with huge photon numbers. Meanwhile, quantum noises also coexist with the amplification and dissipation of the light fields. Under the interplay between the quantum noises and nonlinearity, the quantum dynamical behaviors of the systems become rather complicated. However, the important quantum noise effects have been mostly neglected in previous studies about nonlinear PT\mathcal{PT}PT-symmetric systems. Here we present a solution to this nonperturbative quantum nonlinear problem, showing the real-time evolution of the system observables. The enhanced Kerr nonlinearity is found to give rise to a previously unknown decoherence effect that is irrelevant to the quantum noises and imposes a limit on the emergence of macroscopic nonclassicality. In contrast to what happens in linear systems, the quantum noises exert significant impact on the system dynamics and can create nonclassical light field states in conjunction with the enhanced Kerr nonlinearity. This study on the noise involved in quantum nonlinear dynamics of coupled gain-loss waveguides can help to better understand the quantum noise effects in many nonlinear systems.
Gain saturation is ubiquitous but has not been fully explored in the newly developed field of non-Hermitian optics. On the other hand, the nonclassical properties of light are highly relevant to the gain saturation that influences the quantum noise accompanying light amplification. In this paper, we systematically examine the gain saturation effects in a non-Hermitian system of coupled gain-loss waveguides. We explain the impact of gain saturation on a quantum light field dynamically evolving in the coupled system. In contrast to the ideal situation without gain saturation, one can achieve a quasisteady state under the gain saturation. Moreover, gain saturation reduces the influence of amplification noise and thereby better preserves such quantum features as entanglement. We illustrate the effects of gain saturation by examining the time evolution of the Wigner function, entanglement of the light fields, and the cross-correlation function between the two output modes. Significant differences exist between unsaturated and saturated situations, especially for low photon numbers.
Fock states are the most fundamental quantum states of bosonic fields, forming an important basis for understanding their quantum dynamics. As energy and number eigenstates, they have an exactly defined number of quanta, and most faithfully express the particle nature of fields. These properties make them attractive for many applications in metrology, and quantum simulation and information processing. Yet, Fock states are notoriously difficult to generate. The problem is especially acute in optics, where it is difficult to deterministically produce Fock states with more than a single photon, let alone at macroscopic scales. This is in part due to a dearth of mechanisms to produce large Fock states, as well as the deleterious effects of linear dissipation. Here, we introduce a new effect in the physics of nonlinear bosons, arising from the interplay of dissipation and Kerr nonlinearity. In this effect, a nonlinear resonance is dissipationless when it has a particular number of quanta (e.g., photons) inside it, and lossy otherwise. This loss, which results from nonlinear interference, leads to several new quantum statistical effects. For example, it leads to spontaneous condensation of intensity noise, which may enable generation of large Fock and extremely photon-number-squeezed states of light. We also show how this effect has implications for new classes of optoelectronic devices such as lasers, which can stabilize extremely low-noise states in an equilibrium between gain and the nonlinear loss that we introduce. Throughout the text, we present examples of systems that may realize these effects. In one, we show how the nonlinear dissipation could lead to optical Fock states of n=1000n=1000n=1000, while in another, we show how conventional laser architectures could be used to generate macroscopic light (>1012>10^{12}>1012 photons) with nearly 95% less noise than the standard quantum limit.
A two-mode optical parity-time (PT\mathcal{PT}PT) symmetric system, with gain and damping, described by a quantum quadratic Hamiltonian with additional small Kerr-like nonlinear terms, is analyzed from the point of view of nonclassical-light generation. Two kinds of stationary states with different types of (in)stability are revealed. Properties of one of these are related to the presence of semiclassical exceptional points, i.e., exotic degeneracies of the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian describing the studied system without quantum jumps. The evolution of the logarithmic negativity, principal squeezing variances, and sub-shot-noise photon-number correlations, considered as entanglement and nonclassicality quantifiers, is analyzed in the approximation of linear-operator corrections to the classical solution. Suitable conditions for nonclassical-light generation are identified in the oscillatory regime, especially at and around exceptional points that considerably enhance the nonlinear interaction and, thus, the nonclassicality of the generated light. The role of quantum fluctuations, inevitably accompanying attenuation and amplification in the evolution of quantum states, is elucidated. The evolution of the system is analyzed for different initial conditions.
We study a system of two coupled waveguides respectively carrying optical damping and optical gain in addition to squeezing elements in one or both waveguides. Such a system is expected to generate highly entangled light fields in the two waveguides. Especially, if the light fields are strong enough, a macroscopic, continuous-variable entanglement can be achieved. We, however, show that the degree of the created entanglement is significantly affected by the quantum noises associated with the amplification and dissipation. The entanglement for the different configurations of the setup is quantified to illustrate how the quantum noises limit such entanglement as well as determine its actual time evolution patterns. In contrast to its sensitivity to the quantum noises, the degree of entanglement is irrelevant to the input light intensities, given the inputs in coherent states.
A two-mode optical parity-time (PT) symmetric system, with gain and damping, described by a quantum quadratic Hamiltonian with additional small Kerr-like nonlinear terms, is analyzed from the point of view of nonclassical-light generation. Two kinds of stationary states with different types of (in)stability are revealed. Properties of one of these are related to the presence of semiclassical exceptional points, i.e., exotic degeneracies of the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian describing the studied system without quantum jumps. The evolution of the logarithmic negativity, principal squeezing variances, and sub-shot-noise photon-number correlations, considered as entanglement and non-classicality quantifiers, is analyzed in the approximation of linear-operator corrections to the classical solution. Suitable conditions for nonclassical-light generation are identified in the oscillatory regime, especially at and around exceptional points that considerably enhance the nonlinear interaction and, thus, the non-classicality of the generated light. The role of quantum fluctuations, inevitably accompanying attenuation and amplification in the evolution of quantum states, is elucidated. The evolution of the system is analyzed for different initial conditions.
Linear quantum amplifiers are indispensable tools for quantum technologies, yet their performance is fundamentally limited by quantum noise, precluding any signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) enhancement unless supplemented by post-selection or non-classical resources. To surpass this limitation, we propose a nonlinear quantum amplification strategy that exploits the interplay between a gain-stabilized bright eigenmode of a coupled two-mode bosonic system and Kerr nonlinearity. We demonstrate that this interplay enables the signal gain to surpass the noise gain in a selected quadrature, leading to a net increase in the SNR beyond the quantum limits of conventional linear amplifiers. Our work thus establishes a novel nonlinear amplification paradigm capable of enhancing the SNR, with promising applications across quantum information processing, quantum communications, and quantum metrology.