The nonreciprocity between two signal fields is regarded as a key function in future quantum networks and modern communication technologies. Here, we theoretically propose a scheme of nonreciprocal devices between signal fields in two different arbitrarily frequency domains in a hybrid cavity opto-electromechanical system. The model consists of a microwave cavity and an optical cavity, respectively, coupled with two different mechanical oscillators, which are coupled together by the tunable Coulomb interaction and driven by the external electrical fields. We study the nonreciprocal response between two different frequency fields. Nonreciprocal transmission is based on multichannel quantum interference to break time-reversal symmetry. The perfect nonreciprocity is shown in the certain conditions. By adjusting the Coulomb interaction, the phase differences, and strength of the electrically driven fields on the mechanical oscillators, we find that nonreciprocity can be modulated and even transformed into perfect nonreciprocity and reciprocity. These results provide a new insight into the design of nonreciprocal devices and present the potential applications in quantum information processing and quantum networks.
The nonreciprocity between two signal fields is regarded as a key function in future quantum networks and modern communication technologies. Here, we theoretically propose a scheme of nonreciprocal devices between signal fields in two different arbitrarily frequency domains in a hybrid cavity opto-electromechanical system. The model consists of a microwave cavity and an optical cavity, respectively, coupled with two different mechanical oscillators, which are coupled together by the tunable Coulomb interaction and driven by the external electrical fields. We study the nonreciprocal response between two different frequency fields. Nonreciprocal transmission is based on multichannel quantum interference to break time-reversal symmetry. The perfect nonreciprocity is shown in the certain conditions. By adjusting the Coulomb interaction, the phase differences, and strength of the electrically driven fields on the mechanical oscillators, we find that nonreciprocity can be modulated and even transformed into perfect nonreciprocity and reciprocity. These results provide a new insight into the design of nonreciprocal devices and present the potential applications in quantum information processing and quantum networks.
We theoretically propose a scheme of the nonreciprocal conversion device between photons of two arbitrary frequencies in a hybrid cavity optomechanical system, where two optical cavities and two microwave cavities are coupled to two different mechanical resonators via radiation pressure. Two mechanical resonators are coupled together via the Coulomb interaction. We study the nonreciprocal conversions between both the same and different types of frequency photons. The device is based on multichannel quantum interference to break the time-reversal symmetry. Our results show the perfect nonreciprocity conditions. By adjusting the Coulomb interaction and the phase differences, we find that the nonreciprocity can be modulated and even transformed into reciprocity. These results provide new insight into the design of nonreciprocal devices, including isolators, circulators, and routers in quantum information processing and quantum networks.
Nonreciprocal systems breaking time-reversal symmetry are essential tools in modern quantum technologies enabling the suppression of unwanted reflected signals or extraneous noise entering through detection ports. Here we propose a scheme enabling nonreciprocal conversion between optical and radio-frequency (rf) photons using exclusively optomechanical and electromechanical interactions. The nonreciprocal transmission is obtained by interference of two dissipative pathways of transmission between the two electromagnetic modes established through two distinct intermediate mechanical modes. In our protocol, we apply a bichromatic drive to the cavity mode and a single-tone drive to the rf resonator, and use the relative phase between the drive tones to obtain nonreciprocity. We show that perfect nonreciprocal transduction can be obtained in the limit of large cooperativity in both directions, from optical to rf and vice versa. We also study the transducer noise and show that mechanical thermal noise is always reflected back onto the isolated port. In the limit of large cooperativity, the input noise is instead transmitted in an unaltered way in the allowed direction; in particular one has only vacuum noise in the output rf port in the case of optical-to-rf conversion.
To promote the future quantum information technologies, we demonstrate an electrically driven optical switch based on quantum interference in a hybrid opto-electromechanical system, which consists of an opto-mechanical cavity and an external electric circuit. The key element of our scheme is a moveable mirror of cavity as a charged mechanical oscillator capacitively coupled to a fixed charged plate in a variable capacitor. By adjusting the voltage of the capacitor, the displacement of the moveable mirror is modulated, then the cavity field can be electrically turned on or off due to the detuning of the cavity. Based on the cavity induced transparency, the transparency window can be electrically switched on or off by turning on or off the cavity field. Therefore, the susceptibility of the medium in the cavity can be electrically controlled, i.e., the scheme of the electrically controlled absorption switching can be demonstrated. This electrically driven optical switch will excite a development trend and implementation prospect towards the integration and miniaturization of quantum module device in a chip.
Owing to the potential applications in all-optical quantum information processing and quantum optical networks, magnet-free optical non-reciprocity transmission has attracted great interest and has been studied in many fields, such as parity-time-symmetry enhanced nonlinearity, optomechanical systems, photonic crystal, cold atomic Bragg lattices, chiral quantum optics, and hot atoms. In particular, the random thermal motion of hot atoms can be a useful resource to realize optical non-reciprocity. Here in this work, based on the susceptibility-momentum-locking of atomic thermal motion and the strong coupling characteristics of cavities, a magnetic-free optical reciprocity-nonreciprocity transmission conversion scheme is designed and realized through the atom-cavity compound system. Theoretical and experimental analysis show that the coupling field conditions determine the nonreciprocity of the system. Under the action of single traveling-wave field, the nonreciprocity in hot atoms depends on the propagation direction of the coupling field due to the Doppler effect. Therefore, by changing the opening and closing of the opposite coupling field, the two-way single channel optical nonreciprocal transmission based on intracavity electromagnetically induced transparency can be controlled. When the two coupling fields propagate simultaneously in the opposite directions, however, the cavity transmission changes from single-dark-state to double-dark-state peaks, in which the reciprocity outputs depend on the frequency difference between the two coupling fields. By tuning the frequency difference, the two-way multi-channel reciprocal-nonreciprocal transmission regulation based on double dark polar peaks can be realized. The study can be applied to all-optical quantum devices and quantum information processing, such as optical transistors, optical switching and routing, and quantum gate manipulation.
We demonstrate nonreciprocal optical transmission for both intense classical fields and weak quantum signals within a reconfigurable optomechanical platform driven by three-mode parametric interactions. The platform is modular, where each three-mode optomechanical system serves as a fundamental building block. Operating independently, a single block achieves nonreciprocity for classical fields. Specifically, asymmetric radiation pressure from intrinsic optomechanical nonlinearity induces nonreciprocal mechanical displacement, modulating the cavity intensity through optomechanical feedback. This enables full isolation of backward transmission without requiring parameter initialization. Alternatively, for quantum signals, the platform is reconfigured by activating photonic and phononic exchange channels between the two blocks. In this configuration, nonreciprocity arises from quantum interference between direct photon hopping and indirect conversion pathways. Constructive interference enables unidirectional low-loss transmission, while destructive interference completely suppresses the reverse direction. After adiabatically eliminating the auxiliary modes, the optimal nonreciprocal frequency and the trade-off between insertion loss and nonreciprocal bandwidth can be controlled by engineering optomechanically induced mechanical dissipation. Additionally, the three-mode-based device requires less control-field power than two-mode systems under resolved-sideband conditions, demonstrating versatile potential for optical nonreciprocity applications across classical and quantum domains.
We theoretically investigate the analog of electromagnetically induced absorption and parametric amplification in a hybrid opto-electromechanical system consisting of an optical cavity and a microwave cavity coupled to a common mechanical resonator. When the two cavity modes are driven by two pump fields, a weak probe beam is applied to the optical cavity to monitor the optical response of the hybrid system, which can be effectively controlled by adjusting the frequency and power of the two pump fields. We find that the analog of electromagnetically induced absorption and parametric amplification can appear in the probe transmission spectrum when one cavity is pumped on its red sideband and another is pumped on its blue sideband. These phenomena can find potential applications in optical switching and signal amplification in the quantum information process.