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arXiv:2302.03360 · Physical Review A

Perfect nonreciprocity by loss engineering

Xinyao Huang, Yong‐Chun Liu

Published Feb 2, 2023• 28 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Realization of nonreciprocal transmission with low insertion loss and high contrast simultaneously is in great demand for one-way optical communication and information processing. Here we propose a generic approach to achieving perfect nonreciprocity that allows lossless unidirectional transmission by engineering energy losses. The loss of the intermediate mode induces a phase lag impinging on the indirect channel for energy transmission, which does not depend on the energy transmission direction. When the direct transmission channel coexists with the indirect lossy transmission channel, the dual-channel interference can be tuned to be destructive simultaneously for backward transmission from the rightmost mode to the leftmost mode, and for forward transmission from the leftmost mode to the intermediate mode. The former interference outcome corresponds to 100% nonreciprocity contrast, and the latter guarantees zero insertion loss for forward transmission. Additionally, our scheme also allows a nonreciprocity response over a wide bandwidth by increasing the losses while keeping perfect nonreciprocity at resonance. The robustness against loss indicates that our scheme is advantageous in the implementation of nonreciprocal optical devices with high performance.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.107.023703

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Realization of nonreciprocal transmission with low insertion loss and high contrast simultaneously is in great demand for one-way optical communication and information processing. Here we propose a generic approach to achieving perfect nonreciprocity that allows lossless unidirectional transmission by engineering energy losses. The loss of the intermediate mode induces a phase lag impinging on the indirect channel for energy transmission, which does not depend on the energy transmission direction. When the direct transmission channel coexists with the indirect lossy transmission channel, the dual-channel interference can be tuned to be destructive simultaneously for backward transmission from the rightmost mode to the leftmost mode, and for forward transmission from the leftmost mode to the intermediate mode. The former interference outcome corresponds to 100% nonreciprocity contrast, and the latter guarantees zero insertion loss for forward transmission. Additionally, our scheme also allows a nonreciprocity response over a wide bandwidth by increasing the losses while keeping perfect nonreciprocity at resonance. The robustness against loss indicates that our scheme is advantageous in the implementation of nonreciprocal optical devices with high performance.
Atomic absorption-induced insertion loss poses a fundamental limitation on signal transmission in optical nonreciprocity (ONR) systems. We propose a lossless and magnetic-field-free ONR scheme based on dual-Raman interference in two far-detuned Λ-type three-level systems. In the forward direction, destructive interference cancels the imaginary part of the susceptibility while retaining a large phase shift, enabling absorption-free transmission. In contrast, Doppler shifts arising from atomic thermal motion disrupt the Raman resonances in the backward direction, suppressing both absorption and phase modulation. This direction-dependent optical response yields nonreciprocal phase shifts which, when implemented in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, enable an optical isolator with 100% forward transmittance and an isolation of up to 37 dB.
Optical nonreciprocity has been a popular research topic in recent years. Semiconductor quantum wells (SQWs) play a key role in many high-performance optoelectronic devices. In this paper, we propose a theoretical scheme to achieve nonmagnetic optical nonreciprocity based on the four-wave mixing effect in SQW nanostructures. Using the experimentally available parameters, the nonreciprocal behavior of the probe field in forward direction and backward direction is achieved through this SQW, where both nonreciprocal transmission and nonreciprocal phase shift have high transmission rates. Furthermore, by embedding this SQW nanostructure into a Mach-Zender interferometer, a reconfigurable nonreciprocal device based on high transmission nonreciprocal phase shift that can be used as an isolator or a circulator, is designed and analyzed. The device can be realized as a two-port optical isolator with an isolation ratio of 92.39 dB and an insertion loss of 0.25 dB, and as a four-port optical circulator with a fidelity of 0.9993, a photon survival probability of 0.9518 and a low insertion loss with suitable parameters. Semiconductor media have the advantages of easier integration and tunable parameters, and this scheme can provide theoretical guidance for implementing nonreciprocal and nonreciprocal photonic devices based on semiconductor solid-state media.
Optical nonreciprocity is an essential property for a wide range of applications, such as building nonreciprocal optical devices that include isolators and circulators. The realization of optical nonreciprocity relies on breaking the symmetry associated with Lorentz reciprocity, which typically requires stringent conditions such as introducing a strong magnetic field or a high-finesse cavity with nonreciprocal coupling geometry. Here we discover that the collision effect of thermal atoms, which is undesirable for most studies, can induce broadband optical nonreciprocity. By exploiting the thermal atomic collision, we experimentally observe magnet-free and cavity-free optical nonreciprocity, which possesses a high isolation ratio, ultrabroad bandwidth, and low insertion loss simultaneously. The maximum isolation ratio is close to 40 dB, while the insertion loss is less than 1 dB. The bandwidth for an isolation ratio exceeding 20 dB is over 1.2 GHz, which is 2 orders of magnitude broader than typical resonance-enhanced optical isolators. Our work paves the way for the realization of high-performance optical nonreciprocal devices and provides opportunities for applications in integrated optics and quantum networks.
Attribute to their robustness against loss and external noise, nonreciprocal photonic devices hold great promise for applications in quantum information processing. Recent advancements have demonstrated that nonreciprocal optical transmission in linear systems can be achieved through the strategic introduction of loss. However, a crucial question remains unanswered: can loss be harnessed as a resource for generating nonreciprocal quantum correlations? Here, we take a counterintuitive stance by engineering loss to generate a vital form of nonreciprocal quantum correlations, termed nonreciprocal photon blockade . We examine a dissipative three-cavity system comprising two nonlinear cavities and a linear cavity. The interplay of loss and nonlinearity leads to a robust nonreciprocal single- and two-photon blockade, facilitated by destructive quantum interference. Furthermore, we demonstrate the tunability of this nonreciprocal photon blockade by manipulating the relative phase between the two nonlinear cavities. Remarkably, this allows for the reversal of the direction of nonreciprocity. Our study not only sheds a light on the concept of loss-engineered quantum nonreciprocity but also opens up a pathway for the design of quantum nonreciprocal photonic devices.
A scheme for magnetic-free optical nonreciprocity in an ensemble of four-level cold atoms is proposed by exploiting the directional four-wave mixing effect. Using experimentally achievable parameters, the nonreciprocal optical responses of the system can be observed and the conversion on nonreciprocal transmission and nonreciprocal phase shift can be implemented. These nonreciprocal phenomena originate from the directional phase matching, which breaks the time-reversal symmetry and dynamic reciprocity of the cold atomic system. Moreover, by embedding the cold atoms into a Mach-Zehnder interferometer and choosing proper parameters, a two-port optical isolator with an isolation ratio of 79.70 dB and an insertion loss of 0.35 dB and a four-port optical circulator with a fidelity of 0.9985 and a photon survival probability of 0.9278 can be realized, which shows the high performance of isolation and circulation. The proposal may enable a new class of optically controllable cavity-free nonreciprocal devices in optical signal processing at the low light level.
Nonreciprocal light propagation plays an important role in modern optical systems, from photonic networks to integrated photonics. We propose a nonreciprocal system based on a resonance-frequency-tunable cavity and intensity-adaptive feedback control. Because the feedback-induced Kerr nonlinearity in the cavity is dependent on the incident direction of light, the system exhibits nonreciprocal transmission with a transmission contrast of 0.99 and an insertion loss of 1.5 dB. By utilizing intensity-adaptive feedback control, the operating intensity range of the nonreciprocal system is broadened to 20 dB, which relaxes the limitation of the operating intensity range for nonlinear nonreciprocal systems. Our protocol paves the way to realize high-performance nonreciprocal propagation in optical systems and can also be extended to microwave systems.