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Optics Communications

Ultra-strong nonreciprocal amplification with hot atoms

Hang Zhou Yang, Shicheng Zhang, Yueping Niu, Shangqing Gong

Published Mar 16, 2022• 7 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Optical nonreciprocity plays an important role in optical communication and signal processing. Here, we propose and demonstrate a magnetic-free optical nonreciprocal amplification based on a far-detuned four-wave mixing process in hot atoms. The absorption of the probe field can be significantly reduced by the large detuning. In our experiment, with just one pump field, an ultra-strong forward gain of 45 dB is achieved while the backward one keeps a near unit transmission. The experimental realization of ultra-strong nonreciprocal amplification may have applications for the generation of strong nonreciprocal quantum correlations.

DOI
10.1016/j.optcom.2022.128195

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Optical nonreciprocity plays an important role in optical communication and signal processing. Here, we propose and demonstrate a magnetic-free optical nonreciprocal amplification based on a far-detuned four-wave mixing process in hot atoms. The absorption of the probe field can be significantly reduced by the large detuning. In our experiment, with just one pump field, an ultra-strong forward gain of 45 dB is achieved while the backward one keeps a near unit transmission. The experimental realization of ultra-strong nonreciprocal amplification may have applications for the generation of strong nonreciprocal quantum correlations.
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Nonreciprocal optical devices are important in wide areas, ranging from optical telecommunications to signal processing. Here, we experimentally realize the magnet-free and cavity-free optical nonreciprocity based on phase-matched four-wave mixing (FWM) in hot atoms. Specifically, the isolation of more than 20 dB and insertion loss less than 1 dB without using any optical cavity can be achieved simultaneously. Our results provide general insights into a broad class of parametrically modulated nonreciprocal behavior, paving the way toward optimal nonreciprocal devices based on the nonlinear FWM process.
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Optical nonreciprocity and nonreciprocal devices such as optical diodes have broad and promising applications in various fields, ranging from optical communication to signal process. Here, we propose a magnet-free nonreciprocal scheme based on the four-wave mixing (FWM) effect in semiconductor quantum dots (SQDs). Via controlling the directions of the coupling fields, the probe field can achieve high transmission in the forward direction within a certain frequency range due to the FWM effect. And the transmission of the probe field in the backward direction undergoes significant reduction, as the FWM effect is absent. The calculation results show a wide nonreciprocal transmission window with isolation greater than 12 dB and insertion loss lower than 0.08 dB. The influences of the Rabi frequencies of the coupling fields, the medium length, and the decay rates on the nonreciprocal propagation of the probe field are also studied, showing the requirements of these parameters for good nonreciprocal performances. Our work may offer an insight for developing optical nonreciprocal devices based on the FWM process and the SQD system.
Multichannel synchronous amplifications are an inevitable key problem in quantum communication process, which can broaden the bandwidth of transmitted signals and establish correlation among different optical channels. Here we study a nonreciprocal system with four concurrent amplification channels using hot cesium atoms, both theoretically and experimentally. For the forward probe field, the double--electromagnetically induced transparency structure is formed and the phase-matching condition of the multiwave mixing process is satisfied, which are both destroyed when the probe field is reversed. In addition, the four-channel nonreciprocal amplifications are formed in the Zeeman sublevels of the system with special selection of light field polarization, which will also dramatically enhance the signal-to-noise ratio by suppressing the spontaneous emission noise of the system. In our experiment, the quadruple nonreciprocal amplifications are achieved with the maximum forward gain reaching 30 dB and the reverse suppression reaching--23 dB. The gain adjustability allows the construction of a gain-loss balanced system, providing a scheme for an atomic system to engineer a parity-time-symmetric (or -antisymmetric) structure.
Nonreciprocal optical devices, such as isolators and circulators, provide highly desirable functionalities in routing signals. This motivates the active research on high-efficiency nonreciprocal devices, especially for miniaturized and integrable magnetic-free schemes. All the present experimental demonstrations of circulators in optical domains are based on the high-QQQ factor cavity. In this work, we demonstrate a cavity-free optical circulator with low insertion loss by making use of a far-detuned nonlinear Raman process with the assistance of the atomic Doppler effect. Due to the large detuning, the excited state can be adiabatically eliminated, resulting in nearly vanishing absorption. An optical circulator with average transmission of more than $85\mathrm{%}$ and fidelity above 0.980.980.98 is well achieved in an experiment with hot atoms. Our scheme shows the possibility of cavity-free nonreciprocal optical devices with low insertion loss.