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arXiv:2412.19608 · Nano Letters

Achieving Robust Single-Photon Blockade with a Single Nanotip

Jian Tang, Yunlan Zuo, Xun‐Wei Xu, Ran Huang, Adam Miranowicz, Franco Nori, Hui Jing

Published Mar 4, 2025• 9 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Backscattering losses (BSL), arising from intrinsic imperfections or unavoidable external perturbations in optical resonators, can severely impact photonic devices. In single-photon systems, robust quantum correlations against BSL remain largely unexplored despite their significance for various applications. Here, we demonstrate that single-photon blockade (SPB), a purely quantum effect, can be preserved against BSL by introducing a nanotip near a Kerr nonlinear resonator with intrinsic defects. Without the tip, BSL disrupts SPB, but tuning the tip's position restores robustness even under strong BSL. Notably, quantum correlations emerge while the classical mean photon number remains suppressed due to the interplay between resonator nonlinearity and tip-induced optical coupling. Our findings highlight nanoscale engineering as a powerful tool to protect and harness fragile quantum correlations, paving the way for robust single-photon sources and backscattering-immune quantum devices.

DOI
10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c05433

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Photon blockade provides an effective way to realize the single-photon source, which attracts intensive attention in the fields of quantum optics and quantum information. Here in this study, we investigate photon blockade in a non-Hermitian indirectly coupled resonator system, which consists of a dissipative cavity and a Kerr nonlinear resonator coupled to two nano-scatters. We find that by tuning the coupling phase θ between the two resonators, the quantum interference could be induced on one side near the exceptional points (EPs), resulting in the unconventional photon blockade effect. Furthermore, it is noticed that the large Kerr nonlinearity is not always beneficial for unconventional photon blockades. There is an optimal threshold for the intensity of the Kerr nonlinearity and the phase angle θ for the appearance of the unconventional photon blockade effect. We believe the current study has substantial consequences for investigating the physical characteristics close to EPs and presents a novel method for developing integrated on-chip single-photon sources.
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Conventional wisdom holds that quantum effects are fragile and can be destroyed by loss. Here, contrary to general belief, we show how to realize quantum revival of optical correlations at the single-photon level with the help of loss. We find that, accompanying loss-induced transparency of light in a nonlinear optical-molecule system, quantum suppression and revival of photonic correlations can be achieved. Specifically, below critical values, adding loss into the system leads to suppressions of both optical intensity and its non-classical correlations; however, by further increasing the loss beyond the critical values, quantum revival of photon blockade (PB) can emerge, resulting in loss-induced switch between single-PB and two-PB or super-Poissonian light. Our work provides a strategy to reverse the effect of loss in fully quantum regime, opening up a counterintuitive route to explore and utilize loss-tuned single-photon devices for quantum technology.