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Optics Express

Vortex-based all-optical manipulation of stored light at low light levels

Lu Zhao

Published Nov 5, 2015• 7 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We exploit the giant cross-Kerr nonlinearity of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) system in ultracold atoms to implement vortex-based multimode manipulation of stored light at low light levels. Using image-bearing signal light fields with angular intensity profiles, sinusoidal grating structures with phase-only modulation can be azimuthally imprinted on the stored probe light field, where the nonlinear absorption loss can be ignored. Upon retrieval of the probe light, collinearly superimposed vortex modes can be generated in the far field. Considering the finite size of atomic gas, the Fraunhofer diffraction patterns of the retrieved probe fields and their spiral spectra are numerically investigated, where the diffracted vortex modes can be efficiently controlled by tuning the weak signal fields. Our studies not only exhibit a fundamental diffraction phenomenon with angular grating structures in EIT system, but also provide a fascinating opportunity to realize multidimensional quantum information processing for stored light in an all-optical manner.

DOI
10.1364/oe.23.029808

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We exploit the giant cross-Kerr nonlinearity of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) system in ultracold atoms to implement vortex-based multimode manipulation of stored light at low light levels. Using image-bearing signal light fields with angular intensity profiles, sinusoidal grating structures with phase-only modulation can be azimuthally imprinted on the stored probe light field, where the nonlinear absorption loss can be ignored. Upon retrieval of the probe light, collinearly superimposed vortex modes can be generated in the far field. Considering the finite size of atomic gas, the Fraunhofer diffraction patterns of the retrieved probe fields and their spiral spectra are numerically investigated, where the diffracted vortex modes can be efficiently controlled by tuning the weak signal fields. Our studies not only exhibit a fundamental diffraction phenomenon with angular grating structures in EIT system, but also provide a fascinating opportunity to realize multidimensional quantum information processing for stored light in an all-optical manner.
Coherent manipulation of stored images is performed at low light levels based on enhanced cross-Kerr nonlinearity in a four-level N-type electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) system. Using intensity masks in the signal pulse, quadratic phase shifts with low nonlinear absorption can be efficiently imprinted on the Fraunhofer diffraction patterns already stored in the EIT system. Fast-Fourier-transform-based numerical simulations clearly demonstrate that the far-field images of the retrieved probe light can be flexibly modulated by applying different signal fields. Our studies could help advance the goals of nonlinear all-optical processing for spatial information coherently stored in EIT systems.
A tripod-type cold atomic system driven by double-probe fields and a coupling field is explored to store double images based on the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). During the storage time, an intensity-dependent signal field is applied further to extend the system with the fifth level involved, then the cross-phase modulation is introduced for coherently manipulating the stored images. Both analytical analysis and numerical simulation clearly demonstrate a tunable phase shift with low nonlinear absorption can be imprinted on the stored images, which effectively can improve the visibility of the reconstructed images. The phase shift and the energy retrieving rate of the probe fields are immune to the coupling intensity and the atomic optical density. The proposed scheme can easily be extended to the simultaneous storage of multiple images. This work may be exploited toward the end of EIT-based multiple-image storage devices for all-optical classical and quantum information processings.
By utilizing giant Kerr nonlinearity obtained by electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), tunable volume transmission holographic gratings for a weak probe field can be generated by means of a standing-wave signal field at low light levels in a four-level NNN-type ultracold atomic ensemble. The induced grating can be characterized as a mixed volume holographic grating with a strong phase modulation accompanied by a weak amplitude modulation. Based on Kogelnik's coupled-wave theory in optical holography, we find that high diffraction efficiency (up to 8585%85) and sensitive angular selectivity (up to $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.000149$ rad) can be achieved for the induced grating in the Bragg diffraction regime. And, both of them can be dynamically controlled by tuning the weak standing-wave signal field and the coupling field. Our study not only develops a fundamental understanding of volume diffraction effects in EIT media, but also provides a practical prototype of EIT-based holographic devices for all-optical classical and quantum information processing.
Abstract We propose an atomic grating based on an electromagnetically induced transparency phenomenon that switches between zeroth-order diffraction to a distinct higher-order diffraction pattern by driving a planar gaseous medium of a four-level tripod ( ⋔ ) atoms with three laser beams: modulation of standing wave control beam propagating nearly perpendicular to the planar medium, while vortex and weak plane probe beams directed perpendicular to the medium. We numerically investigate the behavior of the amplitude, phase modulations, and probe field diffraction intensities of different orders by the variation of the field detunings and orbital angular momentum number of the composite vortex light beam. Specifically, in the off-resonant case, the interplay between a square lattice of the control and an additional spatial variation of the vortex beam allows the emergence of higher diffraction orders and variable gain due to double transparency windows in this complex optical system. We believe that our proposed scheme might be useful in optical memory devices via the storage of information to diffraction orders of the atomic grating.
Abstract We explore the spin–orbit coupling (SOC) mechanism for structured light in coherent atomic media with low-light-level cross-Kerr nonlinearity. Using the five-level M-type electromagnetic induced transparency (EIT) system as a prototype, we show that spin–orbit splitting for a weak spinor image can be generated by a weak trigger field carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) at low-light intensity. By quantum-optical analogy, the paraxial focusing and defocusing of the two pseudo-spin states in the spinor image can be governed by a Pauli-like equation. More importantly, by changing the EIT parameters, especially the topological charge of the weak trigger field, the SOC-induced radial quantization of the spinor image can be rather significant, giving rise to positive or negative OAM-OAM mode separation in free space. This suggests that the separation can be flexibly controlled due to strong image-vortex interaction based on few-photon cross-Kerr modulation. Our findings may have the potential for all-optical OAM multiplexing and demultiplexing of structured light fields toward few-photon quantum control and multimode communication.
We investigate theoretically a scheme for all-optical generation of structured light beams with and without a microwave field in an electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) medium composed of rubidium atoms. In a conventional EIT system, two optical fields (namely, a strong control field and a weak probe field) drive two electric-dipole-allowed transitions of an atom to form a three-level system in a $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$ configuration. At EIT resonance, we found that a Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) control beam induces a radial modulation of probe's absorption profile in such way that a Gaussian probe beam is reshaped into a hollow-Gaussian beam following the position-selective absorption. The transmitted probe beam has a doughnut-shaped intensity structure similar to that LG beam whereas the phase profile is still a spherical wave. Moreover, the presence of a microwave field between two ground states of three-level system leads to a closed-loop system, and probe response is modified with an additional term proportional to the amplitudes of Rabi frequencies of control and microwave fields, and relative phase of three fields. This term acts as driving field which is responsible for the generation of a vortex probe beam having a helical phase profile. We have further shown that the amplitude and helical phase of generated vortex beam can be manipulated by changing the relative phase of applied fields and temperature of the vapor cell. The present study may provide a useful tool for creation of structured light beams with and without orbital angular momentum.