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

Nonlinear Optics

Transverse optical patterns for low-light-level optical switching

Daniel J. Gauthier, Bonnie L. Schmittberger, Joel A. Greenberg

Published Jan 1, 2013• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We demonstrate that Sisyphus cooling of atoms leads to a new source of nonlinear optical interaction that drastically increases the interaction strength. This increased coupling leads to low-threshold pattern formation, with applications in single-photon switching.
DOI
10.1364/nlo.2013.nth2a.1

Related papers

Ultra-low-threshold optical pattern formation in a cold atomic vapor

Bonnie L. Schmittberger, Joel A. Greenberg, Daniel J. Gauthier

The authors have developed a new model that accounts for Sisyphus cooling and accurately describes the obtained data. Due to yhe observed ultra-low threshold for pattern formation and the strong fifth-order nonlinear response, the system is a novel testing ground for a broad range of applications and studies of fundamental science.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)•May 1, 2013•0 citations

Using Transverse Optical Patterns For Ultra-Low-Light Optical Switching

Andrew M. C. Dawes

All-optical devices allow improvements in the speed of optical communication and computation systems by avoiding the conversion between the optical and electronic domains. The focus of this thesis is the experimental investigation of a new type of all-optical switch that is based on the control of optical patterns formed by nonlinear interactions between light and matter.\nThe all-optical switch consists of a pair of light beams that counterpropagate through warm rubidium vapor. These beams induce a nonlinear optical instability that gives rise to mirrorless parametric self-oscillation and generates light in the state of polarization that is orthogonal to that of the pump beams. In the far-field, the generated light forms patterns consisting of two or more spots. To characterize this instability, I observe experimentally the amount of generated power and the properties of the generated patterns as a function of pump beam intensity, frequency, and size. Near an atomic resonance, the instability has a very low threshold: with less than 1 mW of total pump power, >3 μW of power is generated.\nTo apply this system to all-optical switching, I observe that the orientation of the generated patterns can be controlled by introducing a symmetry-breaking perturbation to the system. A perturbation in the form of a weak switch beam injected into the nonlinear medium is suitable for controlling the orientation of the generated patterns. The device operates as a switch where each state of the pattern orientation corresponds to a state of the switch, and spatial filtering of the generated pattern defines the output ports of the device. Measurements of the switch response show that it can be actuated by as few as 600 ±40 photons. For a switch beam with 1/e field radius w0 = 185 ± 5μm, 600 ±40 photons correspond to an energy density of 5.4±0.7×10−4 photons/λ2/(2π) which is comparable to the best reported results from all-optical switches. The approach to all-optical switching I report here operates at very low light levels and exhibits cascadability and transistor-like response. Furthermore, the sensitivity is comparable to switches using cold-atom electromagnetically-induced transparency or cavity quantum-electrodynamics techniques, but is achieved with a simpler system, requiring only one optical frequency and occurring in warm atomic vapor.\nI develop a numerical model for the switch that exhibits patterns that rotate in the presence of a weak applied optical field. Results from this model, and from my experiment, show that the switch response time increases as the input power decreases. I propose that this increase is due to critical slowing down. Mapping the pattern orientation to a simple one-dimensional system shows that critical slowing down may account for the observed increase in response time at low input power. The ultimate performance of the device is likely limited by critical slowing down and I conclude that the minimum number of photons capable of actuating the switch is between 400 and 600 photons.\nMy approach to all-optical switching is simple, extremely sensitive and exhibits many of the properties necessary for use as an optical logic element. Additionally, this work has implications for a wide range of pattern forming systems, both in the field of optics and beyond, that may be applicable as novel devices for sensitive measurement and detection.

•Jan 1, 2008•0 citations

Spontaneous emergence of free-space optical and atomic patterns

Bonnie L. Schmittberger, Daniel J. Gauthier

The spontaneous formation of patterns in dynamical systems is a rich phenomenon that transcends scientific boundaries. Here, we report our observation of coupled optical–atomic pattern formation, which results in the creation of self-organized, multimode structures in free-space laser-driven cold atoms. We show that this process gives rise to spontaneous three-dimensional Sisyphus cooling even at very low light intensities and the emergence of self-organized structures on both sub- and super-wavelength scales.

arXiv:1603.06294•New Journal of Physics•Oct 14, 2016•21 citations

Using transverse optical patterns for ultra-low-light all-optical switching

Andrew M. C. Dawes

All-optical devices allow improvements in the speed of optical communication and computation systems by avoiding the conversion between the optical and electronic domains. The focus of this thesis is the experimental investigation of a new type of all-optical switch that is based on the control of optical patterns formed by nonlinear interactions between light and matter.\n\nThe all-optical switch consists of a pair of light beams that counterpropagate through warm rubidium vapor. These beams induce a nonlinear optical instability that gives rise to mirrorless parametric self-oscillation and generates light in the state of polarization that is orthogonal to that of the pump beams. In the far-field, the generated light forms patterns consisting of two or more spots. To characterize this instability, I observe experimentally the amount of generated power and the properties of the generated patterns as a function of pump beam intensity, frequency, and size. Near an atomic resonance, the instability has a very low threshold: with less than 1~mW of total pump power, >3~$\\mu$W of power is generated.\n\nTo apply this system to all-optical switching, I observe that the orientation of the generated patterns can be controlled by introducing a symmetry-breaking perturbation to the system. A perturbation in the form of a weak switch beam injected into the nonlinear medium is suitable for controlling the orientation of the generated patterns. The device operates as a switch where each state of the pattern orientation corresponds to a state of the switch, and spatial filtering of the generated pattern defines the output ports of the device. Measurements of the switch response show that it can be actuated by as few as 600~photons. For a switch beam with 1/e field radius $w_0=185\\,\\mu$m, 600 photons correspond to $5.4\\times10^{-4}$ photons/\\lambdasquared which is comparable to the best reported results from all-optical switches based on electromagnetically-induced transparentcy (EIT). This approach to all-optical switching operates at very low light levels and exhibits cascadability and transistorlike response. Furthermore, the sensitivity is comparable to switches using cold-atom EIT or cavity quantum-electrodynamics techniques but is achieved with a simpler system, requiring only one optical frequency and occurring in warm atomic vapor.\n\nI develop a numerical model for the switch that exhibits patterns that rotate in the presence of a weak applied optical field. Results from this model, and from my experiment, show that the switch response time increases as the input power decreases. I propose that this increase is due to critical slowing down (CSD). Mapping the pattern orientation to a simple one-dimensional system shows that CSD can account for the observed increase in response time at low input power. The ultimate performance of the device is likely limited by CSD and I conclude that the minimum number of photons capable of actuating the switch is between 400 and 600 photons.

•Apr 24, 2008•2 citations

Transverse optical and atomic pattern formation

Bonnie L. Schmittberger, Daniel J. Gauthier

The study of transverse optical pattern formation has been studied extensively in nonlinear optics, with a recent experimental interest in studying the phenomenon using cold atoms, which can undergo real-space self-organization. Here, we describe our experimental observation of pattern formation in cold atoms, which occurs using less than 1 μW of applied power. We show that the optical patterns and the self-organized atomic structures undergo continuous symmetry breaking, which is characteristic of nonequilibrium phenomena in a multimode system. To theoretically describe pattern formation in cold atoms, we present a self-consistent model that allows for tight atomic bunching in the applied optical lattice. We derive the nonlinear refractive index of a gas of multilevel atoms in an optical lattice, and we derive the threshold conditions under which pattern formation occurs. We show that by using small detunings and sub-Doppler temperatures, one achieves intensity thresholds for pattern formation that are reduced by two orders of magnitude compared to warm atoms.

arXiv:1603.06280•Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Jun 24, 2016•10 citations

Bunching-induced optical nonlinearity and instability in cold atoms [Invited]

Joel A. Greenberg, Bonnie L. Schmittberger, Daniel J. Gauthier

We report a new nonlinear optical process that occurs in a cloud of cold atoms at low-light-levels when the incident optical fields simultaneously polarize, cool, and spatially-organize the atoms. We observe an extremely large effective fifth-order nonlinear susceptibility of χ(⁵) = 7.6 × 10⁻¹⁵ (m/V)⁴, which results in efficient Bragg scattering via six-wave mixing, slow group velocities (∼ c/10⁵), and enhanced atomic coherence times (> 100 μs). In addition, this process is particularly sensitive to the atomic temperatures, and provides a new tool for in-situ monitoring of the atomic momentum distribution in an optical lattice. For sufficiently large light-matter couplings, we observe an optical instability for intensities as low as ∼ 1 mW/cm² in which new, intense beams of light are generated and result in the formation of controllable transverse optical patterns.

Optics Express•Oct 25, 2011•47 citations
All-optical devices allow improvements in the speed of optical communication and computation systems by avoiding the conversion between the optical and electronic domains. The focus of this thesis is the experimental investigation of a new type of all-optical switch that is based on the control of optical patterns formed by nonlinear interactions between light and matter.\nThe all-optical switch consists of a pair of light beams that counterpropagate through warm rubidium vapor. These beams induce a nonlinear optical instability that gives rise to mirrorless parametric self-oscillation and generates light in the state of polarization that is orthogonal to that of the pump beams. In the far-field, the generated light forms patterns consisting of two or more spots. To characterize this instability, I observe experimentally the amount of generated power and the properties of the generated patterns as a function of pump beam intensity, frequency, and size. Near an atomic resonance, the instability has a very low threshold: with less than 1 mW of total pump power, >3 μW of power is generated.\nTo apply this system to all-optical switching, I observe that the orientation of the generated patterns can be controlled by introducing a symmetry-breaking perturbation to the system. A perturbation in the form of a weak switch beam injected into the nonlinear medium is suitable for controlling the orientation of the generated patterns. The device operates as a switch where each state of the pattern orientation corresponds to a state of the switch, and spatial filtering of the generated pattern defines the output ports of the device. Measurements of the switch response show that it can be actuated by as few as 600 ±40 photons. For a switch beam with 1/e field radius w0 = 185 ± 5μm, 600 ±40 photons correspond to an energy density of 5.4±0.7×10−4 photons/λ2/(2π) which is comparable to the best reported results from all-optical switches. The approach to all-optical switching I report here operates at very low light levels and exhibits cascadability and transistor-like response. Furthermore, the sensitivity is comparable to switches using cold-atom electromagnetically-induced transparency or cavity quantum-electrodynamics techniques, but is achieved with a simpler system, requiring only one optical frequency and occurring in warm atomic vapor.\nI develop a numerical model for the switch that exhibits patterns that rotate in the presence of a weak applied optical field. Results from this model, and from my experiment, show that the switch response time increases as the input power decreases. I propose that this increase is due to critical slowing down. Mapping the pattern orientation to a simple one-dimensional system shows that critical slowing down may account for the observed increase in response time at low input power. The ultimate performance of the device is likely limited by critical slowing down and I conclude that the minimum number of photons capable of actuating the switch is between 400 and 600 photons.\nMy approach to all-optical switching is simple, extremely sensitive and exhibits many of the properties necessary for use as an optical logic element. Additionally, this work has implications for a wide range of pattern forming systems, both in the field of optics and beyond, that may be applicable as novel devices for sensitive measurement and detection.
The spontaneous formation of patterns in dynamical systems is a rich phenomenon that transcends scientific boundaries. Here, we report our observation of coupled optical–atomic pattern formation, which results in the creation of self-organized, multimode structures in free-space laser-driven cold atoms. We show that this process gives rise to spontaneous three-dimensional Sisyphus cooling even at very low light intensities and the emergence of self-organized structures on both sub- and super-wavelength scales.
All-optical devices allow improvements in the speed of optical communication and computation systems by avoiding the conversion between the optical and electronic domains. The focus of this thesis is the experimental investigation of a new type of all-optical switch that is based on the control of optical patterns formed by nonlinear interactions between light and matter.\n\nThe all-optical switch consists of a pair of light beams that counterpropagate through warm rubidium vapor. These beams induce a nonlinear optical instability that gives rise to mirrorless parametric self-oscillation and generates light in the state of polarization that is orthogonal to that of the pump beams. In the far-field, the generated light forms patterns consisting of two or more spots. To characterize this instability, I observe experimentally the amount of generated power and the properties of the generated patterns as a function of pump beam intensity, frequency, and size. Near an atomic resonance, the instability has a very low threshold: with less than 1~mW of total pump power, >3~mu\\mumuW of power is generated.\n\nTo apply this system to all-optical switching, I observe that the orientation of the generated patterns can be controlled by introducing a symmetry-breaking perturbation to the system. A perturbation in the form of a weak switch beam injected into the nonlinear medium is suitable for controlling the orientation of the generated patterns. The device operates as a switch where each state of the pattern orientation corresponds to a state of the switch, and spatial filtering of the generated pattern defines the output ports of the device. Measurements of the switch response show that it can be actuated by as few as 600~photons. For a switch beam with 1/e field radius w0=185,muw_0=185\\,\\muw0​=185,mum, 600 photons correspond to 5.4times10−45.4\\times10^{-4}5.4times10−4 photons/\\lambdasquared which is comparable to the best reported results from all-optical switches based on electromagnetically-induced transparentcy (EIT). This approach to all-optical switching operates at very low light levels and exhibits cascadability and transistorlike response. Furthermore, the sensitivity is comparable to switches using cold-atom EIT or cavity quantum-electrodynamics techniques but is achieved with a simpler system, requiring only one optical frequency and occurring in warm atomic vapor.\n\nI develop a numerical model for the switch that exhibits patterns that rotate in the presence of a weak applied optical field. Results from this model, and from my experiment, show that the switch response time increases as the input power decreases. I propose that this increase is due to critical slowing down (CSD). Mapping the pattern orientation to a simple one-dimensional system shows that CSD can account for the observed increase in response time at low input power. The ultimate performance of the device is likely limited by CSD and I conclude that the minimum number of photons capable of actuating the switch is between 400 and 600 photons.
The study of transverse optical pattern formation has been studied extensively in nonlinear optics, with a recent experimental interest in studying the phenomenon using cold atoms, which can undergo real-space self-organization. Here, we describe our experimental observation of pattern formation in cold atoms, which occurs using less than 1 μW of applied power. We show that the optical patterns and the self-organized atomic structures undergo continuous symmetry breaking, which is characteristic of nonequilibrium phenomena in a multimode system. To theoretically describe pattern formation in cold atoms, we present a self-consistent model that allows for tight atomic bunching in the applied optical lattice. We derive the nonlinear refractive index of a gas of multilevel atoms in an optical lattice, and we derive the threshold conditions under which pattern formation occurs. We show that by using small detunings and sub-Doppler temperatures, one achieves intensity thresholds for pattern formation that are reduced by two orders of magnitude compared to warm atoms.
We report a new nonlinear optical process that occurs in a cloud of cold atoms at low-light-levels when the incident optical fields simultaneously polarize, cool, and spatially-organize the atoms. We observe an extremely large effective fifth-order nonlinear susceptibility of χ(⁵) = 7.6 × 10⁻¹⁵ (m/V)⁴, which results in efficient Bragg scattering via six-wave mixing, slow group velocities (∼ c/10⁵), and enhanced atomic coherence times (> 100 μs). In addition, this process is particularly sensitive to the atomic temperatures, and provides a new tool for in-situ monitoring of the atomic momentum distribution in an optical lattice. For sufficiently large light-matter couplings, we observe an optical instability for intensities as low as ∼ 1 mW/cm² in which new, intense beams of light are generated and result in the formation of controllable transverse optical patterns.