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Quantum Zeno Blockade for Next Generation Optical Switching in Fiber Systems

Gregory S. Kanter, M. S. Shahriar

Published Sep 1, 2013• 0 citations

Abstract

Abstract : All-optical switching is crucial for efficient optical communications. The quantum Zeno effect can be used to induce or inhibit optical switching through a variety of processes, all of which share the common characteristic that the evolution of one quantum state into another be inhibited or induced based on the presence or absence of a controllable and continuous quantum measurement. By utilizing this effect, it is the goal of this project to design and construct ultra-low power dissipation, ultra-low volume, fast all-optical switches. In particular, a fundamental limit in existing all-optical switching devices is due to the photon loss resulting from signal-pump coupling. When extended to the quantum domain, this photon loss additionally causes the quantum states of photonic signals to collapse (i.e., decohere). By using the quantum Zeno effect (QZE), it is possible to realize interaction-free switching that eliminates direct signal-pump coupling i.e., QZE for all-optical switching.

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Abstract : All-optical switching is crucial for efficient optical communications. The quantum Zeno effect can be used to induce or inhibit optical switching through a variety of processes, all of which share the common characteristic that the evolution of one quantum state into another be inhibited or induced based on the presence or absence of a controllable and continuous quantum measurement. By utilizing this effect, it is the goal of this project to design and construct ultra-low power dissipation, ultra-low volume, fast all-optical switches. In particular, a fundamental limit in existing all-optical switching devices is due to the photon loss resulting from signal-pump coupling. When extended to the quantum domain, this photon loss additionally causes the quantum states of photonic signals to collapse (i.e., decohere). By using the quantum Zeno effect (QZE), it is possible to realize interaction-free switching that eliminates direct signal-pump coupling i.e., QZE for all-optical switching.

We propose an interaction-free scheme for all-optical switching which does not rely on the physical coupling between signal and control waves. The interaction-free nature of the scheme allows it to overcome the fundamental photon-loss limit imposed by the signal-pump coupling. The same phenomenon protects photonic-signal states from decoherence, making devices based on this scheme suitable for quantum applications. Focusing on $\ensuremath{\chi}{}^{(2)}$ waveguides, we provide device designs for traveling-wave and Fabry-Perot switches. In both designs, the performance is optimal when the signal switching is induced by coherent dynamical evolution. In contrast, when the switching is induced by a rapid dissipation channel, it is less efficient.

We experimentally demonstrate all-optical interaction-free switching using the quantum Zeno effect, achieving a high contrast of 35:1. The experimental data match a zero-parameter theoretical model for several different regimes of operation, indicating a good understanding of the switch's characteristics. We also discuss extensions of this work that will allow for significantly improved performance, and the integration of this technology onto chip-scale devices, which can lead to ultra-low-power all-optical switching, a long-standing goal with applications to both classical and quantum information processing.

The quantum Zeno effect (QZE) is seemingly paradoxical in a sense that an inhibition of transition or a guidance of system can be realized without loss of probability amplitudes in spite of the use of non-unitary processes. But it is quite universal and has been found in various quantum systems as well as in classical wave systems. In this report we will present two examples of QZE in the field of optics . One is theoptical pumping scheme in which atomic spin motion can be controlled without photon absorption in the fast pumping limit. The other example is the light propagation through a series of offset-spliced fibers . Two propagation modes, wave and ray, are possible in optical fibers, and QZE is found to occur only in the former mode.

We present an all-optical control device in which coupling a weak control optical field into a high-

Q

lithium niobate whispering-gallery-mode microcavity decouples it from a signal field due to nonlinear optical interactions. This results in switching and modulation of the signal with low-power control pulses. In the quantum limit, the underlying nonlinear-optical process corresponds to the quantum Zeno blockade. Its ``interaction-free'' nature effectively alleviates loss and decoherence for the signal waves. This work therefore presents experimental progress towards acquiring large phase shifts with few photons or even at the single-photon level.

We investigate the application of the quantum Zeno effect (QZE) for the preparation of non-Gaussian states in optomechanical systems. By frequently monitoring the system, the QZE can suppress transitions away from desired subspaces of states. We show that this enables the preparation of states in qubit subspaces even in the presence of noise and decoherence. Through analytical and numerical analysis, we demonstrate that QZE-based protocols can achieve robust state preparation of qubit states in continuous variable architectures. Our results extend the utility of the QZE beyond discrete systems, highlighting its potential for enhancing quantum control in more complex quantum information processing environments. These findings offer a promising approach for achieving reliable non-Gaussian states in optomechanical systems, with implications for the development of photonic quantum computing and quantum sensing.