Vibrational resonance (VR) is a nonlinear phenomenon in which the system response to a weak signal can be resonantly enhanced by applying a high-frequency modulation signal with an appropriate amplitude. The majority of VR research has focused on amplifying the amplitude or intensity of the system response to a weak signal, whereas the study of the phase information of system responses in VR remains limited. Here, we investigate the VR phenomena in both amplitude and phase quadratures of an optical field in a Kerr nonlinear cavity driven by a near-resonant weak signal and a far-detuned modulation signal. Analytical and numerical results demonstrated that the resonant enhancement in the amplitude and phase quadratures of the system response to a weak signal simultaneously occurs as the amplitude of the modulation signal is varied. There is a linear relation between the amplitude and frequency of the modulation signal for achieving an optimal VR effect. Furthermore, we generalized our study to investigate the quadrature at an arbitrary phase and determined that the VR enhancement sensitively depends on the phase. Our findings not only broaden the scope of VR research by incorporating phase information but also introduce an approach for amplifying an optical field by manipulating another optical field.
Vibrational resonance (VR) is a nonlinear phenomenon in which the system response to a weak signal can be resonantly enhanced by applying a high-frequency modulation signal with an appropriate amplitude. The majority of VR research has focused on amplifying the amplitude or intensity of the system response to a weak signal, whereas the study of the phase information of system responses in VR remains limited. Here, we investigate the VR phenomena in both amplitude and phase quadratures of an optical field in a Kerr nonlinear cavity driven by a near-resonant weak signal and a far-detuned modulation signal. Analytical and numerical results demonstrated that the resonant enhancement in the amplitude and phase quadratures of the system response to a weak signal simultaneously occurs as the amplitude of the modulation signal is varied. There is a linear relation between the amplitude and frequency of the modulation signal for achieving an optimal VR effect. Furthermore, we generalized our study to investigate the quadrature at an arbitrary phase and determined that the VR enhancement sensitively depends on the phase. Our findings not only broaden the scope of VR research by incorporating phase information but also introduce an approach for amplifying an optical field by manipulating another optical field.
We consider a two-level quantum system interacting with two classical time-periodic electromagnetic fields. The frequency of one of the fields far exceeds that of the other. The effect of the high-frequency field can be averaged out of the dynamics to realize an effective transition frequency of the field-dressed two-level system. We examine the linear response, second harmonic response and Stokes and anti-Stokes Raman response of the dressed two-level system, to the weak frequency field. The vibrational resonance enhancement in each case is demonstrated for optimal strength of the high-frequency field. Our theoretical scheme is corroborated by full numerical simulation of the two-level, two-field dynamics governed by loss-free Bloch equations. We suggest that quantum optics can offer an interesting arena for the study of the vibrational resonance. This article is part of the theme issue 'Vibrational and stochastic resonance in driven nonlinear systems (part 1)'.
Understanding the effect of noise on light’s behavior is crucial, as light plays a central role in the study of many systems. This thesis explores the interplay between light, matter, and noise, demonstrating how this interaction can lead to fascinating phenomena and practical applications in sensing, signal transmission, and computing. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the history of noise in physical systems and fundamental discoveries that shaped our understanding of noisy systems. The focus then shifts to optical systems, particularly nanophotonic sensors and devices, and introduces a basic model describing nonlinear optical resonators, pivotal in modern photonics. Chapter 2 delves into the stochastic dynamics of light in a coherently-driven Kerr-nonlinear optical cavity, drawing analogies between light dynamics in the cavity and Brownian particles in a scalar potential. While this analogy holds in linear, on-resonance conditions, it breaks down in nonlinear or off-resonance scenarios due to non-conservative forces. An effective equilibrium description is proposed, providing accurate results in limited regimes but failing in deep bistability. This breakdown is marked by significant changes in the intra-cavity field fluctuation spectrum. Our findings lay the groundwork for an effective thermodynamic description of coherently driven cavities, bridging stochastic thermodynamics and resonant optics. Chapter 3 introduces an innovative optical sensing approach using a single-mode Kerr-nonlinear resonator, achieving exceptional precision at a square-root singularity. This sensor leverages the dynamic hysteresis of the resonator, with intensity splitting at hysteresis endpoints scaling with the square root of perturbation strength. This novel method enhances sensing precision even in noisy environments and overcomes the traditional trade-off between precision and averaging time. Chapter 4 presents the first experimental demonstration of non-Markovian stochastic resonance (SR), showing how memory effects from a non-instantaneous nonlinear response can broaden the SR bandwidth significantly. We imprint a signal on a laser by modulating the cavity length of a thermo-optical cavity. SR is evidenced by a peak in the signal-to-noise ratio as a function of noise variance. Our insights suggest broader implications for noise-assisted processes in various natural and engineered systems with a non-instantaneous response. Chapter 5 and 6 explore complex dynamics emerging from memory effects in nonlinear resonators. Memory effects lead to stable limit cycles and self-sustained oscillations, both in nonlinear optical and mechanical systems. We demonstrate that memory effects can greatly enhance the ability of a nonlinear mechanical resonator to harvest energy from ambient vibrations. Chapter 7 challenges the belief that enhancing clock precision requires more energy, demonstrating that precision can be altered at constant energy by varying laser-cavity detuning in a laser-driven thermo-optical dimer. Stochastic simulations show that detuning changes the limit cycle's confining potential and the phase diffusion strength, explaining the changes in precision. Finally, Chapter 8 demonstrates enhanced performance of an all-optical flip-flop by leveraging noise, reducing switching energy by approximately 90% while maintaining 95% reliability. This approach uses noise as a resource, improving energy efficiency and reliability in optical systems and potentially extending to other platforms. Our findings pave the way for computational devices utilizing ambient fluctuations as a resource.
We show that a plane-mirror Fabry-Perot cavity is capable of converting a spatially phase (amplitude) modulated input beam into an amplitude (phase) modulated output. For a cavity close to resonance the effect is most easily seen for negative detunings. When nonlinear elements are added to the mean-field cavity, the effect persists but acquires an intensity dependence, while the requirement of net negative dispersion remains. In addition, the output of a near-resonant nonlinear cavity can have the same type of modulation as the input, something which is impossible in the corresponding linear cavity. These results are demonstrated in cavities containing Kerr or two-level materials, as well as in optical parametric oscillators.
We consider a quantum two-level system in bichromatic classical time-periodic fields, the frequency of one of which far exceeds that of the other. Based on systematic separation of timescales and averaging over the fast motion a reduced quantum dynamics in the form of a nonlinear forced Mathieu equation is derived to identify the stable oscillatory resonance zones intercepted by unstable zones in the frequency-amplitude plot. We show how this forcing of the dressed two-level system may generate the subharmonics and superharmonics of the weak field in the stable region, which can be amplified by optimization of the strength of the high frequency field. We have carried out detailed numerical simulations of the driven quantum dynamics to corroborate the theoretical analysis.
Abstract We theoretically investigate the optomechanical interaction between an optical field and a mechanical mode mediated by a Kerr nonlinear medium inside an optical cavity and simultaneously driven by an external amplitude-modulated pump field and a probe field. We show that switching between bistability and multistability is influenced by the rocking parameter and Kerr nonlinearity. Further, we study the quantum fluctuation dynamics of the system, which shows the quantum coherence and interference effects resulting in the transmission of the probe field from opacity to amplification. We also find that the rocking parameter, Kerr nonlinearity, and the optomechanical coupling influence the transmission spectrum. In addition, we also show that the rocking parameter significantly enhances the optomechanical coupling, which can be a new handle to control the entanglement between the optical and mechanical modes. The results show that such a hybrid optomechanical system has potential application in designing and optimizing all-optical switching and optical sensors.
Weak force amplification describes the process of amplifying a faint low-frequency signal by means of an additional high-frequency modulation, which plays a vital role in quantum sensing and high-precision measurement. However, the potential enhancement of weak-force amplification in non-Markovian environments has received little attention. In this paper, we firstly study the amplification of weak forces within cavity-optomechanical systems incorporating a degenerate optical parametric amplifier (DOPA) under the Markovian assumption. The results show that the weak force can be effectively amplified by using two high-frequency signals via vibrational resonance through adjusting the strength and phase of the DOPA with different pumping frequencies. Moreover, we extend the study of the amplification of the weak force to the non-Markovian environment which consists of a collection of infinite oscillators. We illustrate that the amplification exhibits a conversion from the non-Markovian regime to Markovian regime by controlling environmental spectral width. This conversion leads to enhancements of amplification, which originates from the excitation backflow obtained through the interaction between the cavity and non-Markovian environment. By controlling DOPA to amplify weak forces, the study achieves amplification in the non-Markovian regime, offering new directions for quantum optics research.