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Physical Review A

Controllable optical bistability of an asymmetric cavity containing a single two-level atom

Xiuwen Xia, Jingping Xu, Yaping Yang

Published Oct 28, 2014• 37 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Optical bistability of a single-mode cavity containing a two-level atom in the Purcell regime has been analyzed. Compared with the case of a symmetric cavity, we find that the bistable regime of input power in an asymmetric cavity can be controlled by adjusting the cavity-loss rates of the asymmetric walls. Such results provide an optimal window of input power to realize giant optical nonreciprocity, which has promising application as the smallest all-optical diode unit with low operation power and high transmitted contrast.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.90.043857

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Optical bistability of a single-mode cavity containing a two-level atom in the Purcell regime has been analyzed. Compared with the case of a symmetric cavity, we find that the bistable regime of input power in an asymmetric cavity can be controlled by adjusting the cavity-loss rates of the asymmetric walls. Such results provide an optimal window of input power to realize giant optical nonreciprocity, which has promising application as the smallest all-optical diode unit with low operation power and high transmitted contrast.
We present a work of promoted optical nonreciprocity (ONR) in an asymmetrical cavity containing two asymmetrically arranged two-level atoms with a weak atom-atom interaction. The input-output relation is worked out by using a perturbative approach. Results show that the bistable-monostable-bistable phase transition would exist when the second atom is present, where the optical bistability and nonreciprocity change considerably. Contributions of two types of spatial asymmetries suggest that the ONR originates from the cooperation of the cavity spatial symmetry breaking and the optical nonlinearity, regardless of the atomic spatial symmetry breaking. In addition to the experimentally proved bistable ONR, a type of monostable ONR is proposed, which operates in the monostable phase. Both the ONR optimal regime and the block rate are boosted by adding the other atom in the cavity. Our findings suggest a prospective approach to the generation of a giant ONR by two atoms with unequal atom-cavity coupling strengths.
We analyze the transmission character of a single-mode cavity containing a resonant two-level atom. Such a simple structure exhibits optical nonlinearity and spatial symmetry breaking, as well as time-reversal symmetry breaking. We perform a detailed analysis in the Purcell regime and find out that there is giant optical nonreciprocity in proper parameter space. Therefore, it is feasible to assemble such a simple atom–cavity structure to realize an acceptable optical nonreciprocal device after carefully designing.
Abstract We propose a scheme to investigate the coherent control of the output field in an asymmetrical cavity with and without atom interaction. We show that the system displays the phenomenon of nonreciprocal opacity and that broken cavity spatial symmetry is the sufficient and necessary condition to achieve nonreciprocal opacity when the relative phase of the input fields vanishes. Moreover, we also include the effect of the relative phase produced by the incoming fields and show how it realizes and modifies the nonreciprocal opacity in a symmetrical cavity. As a key result, we find that either the participation of atom–cavity interaction or the relative phase can promote the nonreciprocal opacity into a wider operating regime. Our findings show that, although nonreciprocal opacity is analogous to the optical diode effect and our system behaves like an optical isolator, it can still be operated in both forward and backward directions simultaneously.
A two-photon optical bistability equation is derived for a three-level V-type atom in a cavity. We consider the bistable states of the purely absorptive type and investigate the influence of the phase difference of the two cavity field modes on bistability characteristics due to the nonlinear coupling between atomic transitions and fields. Very different results are found for the three cases of phase difference we considered. The bistability is found to diminish when the two modes are in phase, in contrast to the two-level case. In addition, we also discuss the effect of longitudinal and transverse relaxation times on the bistability and how the bistability operation characteristics of one mode can be controlled by adjusting the other.
We investigate the optical bistability behavior of a two-sided cavity quantum electrodynamics system. The nonlinear input–output relation of the atom–cavity system coupled by two input light fields from two ends of the cavity can be controlled by a control light from the free space. Different from the common optical bistability phenomenon in the atom–cavity system, two separate bistability regions are observed. The bistability threshold and hysteresis loop can be well controlled by the control light. Because of field interference, the output light intensity becomes different with varying the relative phase of two incident fields. The output field intensity at the threshold of the first bistability region approaches zero with either increasing the detuning or lowering the intensity of the control light; thus, the perfect photon absorption condition is extended and a broadband near-perfect photon absorber is realized. Furthermore, we show an asymmetrical transmission feature due to field interference.