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Optics Express

Efficient all-optical modulator based on a periodic dielectric atomic lattice

Jinpeng Yuan, Shichao Dong, Hengfei Zhang, Chaohua Wu, Lirong Wang, Liantuan Xiao, Suotang Jia

Published Jan 7, 2021• 26 citations
Publisher

Abstract

All-optical devices used to process optical signals without electro-optical conversion plays a vital role in the next generation of optical information processing systems. We demonstrate an efficient all-optical modulator that utilizes a periodic dielectric atomic lattice produced in a gas of 85 Rb vapor. Four orders of diffraction patterns are observed when a probe laser is passed through the lattice. The frequency shift of the peak of each diffraction order can be tuned by adjusting the control laser power and two-photon detuning, enabling this device to be used as a multi-channel all-optical modulator. Both theoretical simulations and experimental results demonstrate that this modulator can operate over a frequency band extending from about 0 to 60 MHz. This work may pave the way for studying quantum information processing and quantum networking proposed in atomic ensembles.

DOI
10.1364/oe.418000

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All-optical devices used to process optical signals without electro-optical conversion plays a vital role in the next generation of optical information processing systems. We demonstrate an efficient all-optical modulator that utilizes a periodic dielectric atomic lattice produced in a gas of 85 Rb vapor. Four orders of diffraction patterns are observed when a probe laser is passed through the lattice. The frequency shift of the peak of each diffraction order can be tuned by adjusting the control laser power and two-photon detuning, enabling this device to be used as a multi-channel all-optical modulator. Both theoretical simulations and experimental results demonstrate that this modulator can operate over a frequency band extending from about 0 to 60 MHz. This work may pave the way for studying quantum information processing and quantum networking proposed in atomic ensembles.
The diffraction pattern of a two-dimensional optically induced atomic lattice is reported experimentally in a three-level atomic system. Such a two-dimensional optical lattice is established by two orthogonal standing-wave fields induced by the interference of two pairs of coupling laser beams. When the probe beam is launched into it, a spatially modulated discrete diffraction pattern can be obtained at the output plane of the vapor cell under the electromagnetically induced transparency condition. We investigate the diffraction pattern under different experimental parameters and find that it can be effectively controlled by tuning the coupling laser power and two-photon detuning. Our work may potentially pave the way for studying the control of light and other intriguing physical phenomena based on such a periodically modulated atomic lattice.
All-optical information conversion, conveying optical signals without electro-optical transformation, plays a vital role in the all-optical devices and optical communication. We achieve the all-optical information conversion in Rb vapor by utilizing the spatial cross-phase modulation. The refractive index of atomic medium is spatially modulated by the strong switch laser beam, which makes it as a nonlinear focusing lens for the weak signal laser beam. As a result, the far-field diffraction ring patterns of the signal laser beam interacted with atoms can effectively carry the nonlinear phase shift information of the switch laser beam. The channel numbers, channel capacities and channel storage densities of information transmission from switch laser beam to signal laser beam are investigated in the terms of switch laser intensity and vapor temperature. Finally, a special "sxu" alphabetic string, encoded by ASCII code, is introduced to verify this all-optical information conversion scheme. This work paves the way for studying optical information processing and all-optical networking with atomic ensembles.
We have experimentally demonstrated the realization of an instantaneously reconfigurable Lieb photonic lattice with a flatband in a three-level Λ-type rubidium atomic configuration. Such a coherently controllable Lieb photonic lattice is optically induced by a coupling field possessing a spatially periodic intensity distribution (generated via a spatial light modulator) under the condition of electromagnetically induced transparency. The incident weak Gaussian probe field can experience discrete diffraction and the observed probe beam at the output surface of the medium exhibits the same Lieb pattern, verifying the formation of the refractive index with a Lieb profile inside the atomic vapor cell. The potential wells and the band structure of the Lieb photonic lattice can be effectively manipulated by easily tuning the frequency of the involved laser beams. The current work can promisingly pave the way for exploring the exotic dynamics as well as tunable photonic devices in Lieb photonic lattices.
Abstract Artificial periodic structures (APS) with controllable optical properties are highly demanded in all‐optical devices and circuits in communication networks. However, APS realized in solid materials are usually non‐tunable and inherently possess immutable photonic bandgap. In this article, a novel honeycomb lattice in an atomic ensemble by utilizing the multi‐beam interference method is reported. Unlike the honeycomb lattice formed in solid materials, the optical properties of this photoinduced honeycomb lattice, such as the absorption/dispersion coefficients and the photonic bandgap can be efficiently tuned by two‐photon detuning and Rabi frequency, resulting in both amplitude‐ and phase‐ type honeycomb lattice. Based on the two‐photon quantum‐imaging method, the near‐field diffraction of the honeycomb lattice is also investigated. It is found that the resolution of the diffraction pattern is tunable by simply adjusting the manner of the two detectors scanning across the imaging beams. In addition, the contrast of the pattern can be greatly enhanced by tuning the optical properties of the lattice. Such an optical honeycomb lattice with tunable properties could find applications in all‐optical switching at the few photons level and paves the way for the generation and manipulation of optical topological insulators.
We experimentally and theoretically demonstrate an electromagnetically induced binary photonic lattice with an instantaneously tunable flat band in a three-level85Rb atomic configuration. The transmitted binary patterns result from the diffraction of an injected Gaussian probe beam through the atomic vapor cell, in which the refractive index is modulated by a binary coupling field with alternating high- and low-intensity peaks under electromagnetically induced transparency. The binary coupling field is established by spatially superimposing two standing-wave fields whose periods differ by a factor of two. The transmitted patterns and the flat band can be readily modulated via controllable atomic coherence. Crucially, by tuning the Rabi frequencies to engineer the refractive index contrast, instantaneous switching of the flat band is achieved. This investigation provides a new method for producing tunable binary photonic lattices, which can serve as a promising platform for investigating the dynamical evolutions of wave packets.
With two sets of standing-wave fields built in a thermal rubidium vapor cell, we have established a controllable photonic crystal with periodic gain in a coherently prepared N-type four-level atomic configuration. First, the photonic lattice constructed by a resonant standing-wave coupling field results in a spatially modulated susceptibility and makes the signal field diffract in a discrete manner under the condition of electromagnetically induced transparency. Then, with the addition of the standing-wave pump field, the N-type atomic medium can induce a periodic Raman gain on the signal field, which can be effectively controlled by tuning the pertinent atomic parameters. The experimental demonstration of such a real-time reconfigurable photonic crystal structure with periodic Raman gain can pave the way for realizing desired applications predicted in the gain-modulated periodic optical systems.