Light and Matter: Quantum and Nonlinear Optics

Optical Echo Holography, E. I. Shtyrkov

Ido Nisim, Zhaopin Chen, Ido E. Kaminer +1 more

The interaction of intense light with matter gives rise to fascinating phenomena at the intersection of quantum optics and extreme nonlinear optics. High-harmonic generation (HHG) has attracted significant interest as a non-perturbative light-matter interaction process. Simultaneously, quantum optics explores the subtle interactions between light and matter at the level of individual quanta of light. Merging these two fields has led to the emergence of extreme nonlinear quantum optics, which challenges conventional assumptions about the quantum nature of light generated by nonlinear processes [1]–[3]. A recent experiment observed HHG from a solid driven by bright squeezed vacuum [2], but the created quantum state was not yet characterized. A central critical gap in the field remains measuring the quantum state of light generated by non-perturbative nonlinear processes, which requires a comprehensive sub-cycle quantum light tomography approach. It was so far unknown whether fragile quantum features like squeezing can survive in conditions of massive photon numbers and extreme nonlinearities.

E. Garmire

Topics in Photonics.- Properties and Description of Light.- Linear Interactions between Light and Matter.- Nonlinear Interactions of Light and Matter without Absorption.- Nonlinear Interactions of Light and Matter with Absorption.- Lasers.- Nonlinear Optical Spectroscopy.- References.

Kazuhiko Misawa

L. Deng, Chengjie Zhu, E. W. Hagley +1 more

We discuss nonlinear optical processes in the presence of quantum gases. We show that, in contrast to a normal gas, where the medium ``passively'' participates in nonlinear optical processes, quantum gases ``actively'' interact with the wave mixing process by enforcing the properties arising from condensed matter physics on the generation and propagation of new light fields. This manifestation of condensed matter physics leads to intriguing suppression and enhancement effects in directional wave generation and propagation processes that have no counterpart in a normal gas. This opens a new chapter on light-matter-wave mixing and scattering: nonlinear optics with quantum gases.

高志 近藤