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Frontiers of Physics

Phase difference induced curved photonic lattice in atomic vapors

Yutong Shen, Yongping Huang, Jiaqi Yuan, Shun Liang, Lijun Du, Chenyu Zhao, Yanpeng Zhang, Zhaoyang Zhang

Published Jan 1, 2025• 4 citations
Publisher

Abstract

As an optical structure characterized by modulations in both transverse and longitudinal directions, the curved photonic lattice has been widely utilized to mimic the behaviors of electrons that are challenging to observe directly. Within the framework of quantum-optical analogies, such a mimicking approach offers additional degrees of freedom for manipulating the dynamics of light. Here, we report the realization of curved photonic lattices in atomic vapors by employing the phase difference in a two-beam interference configuration. The phase difference is introduced via an electro-optic modulator. A weak Gaussian probe field is sent into the curved photonic lattice to image the constructed structure in the context of electromagnetically induced transparency both experimentally and theoretically. In the case of sinusoidal modulation of the phase difference, the transverse oscillation of the output probe pattern is observed clearly, indicating the instantaneous and accurate control of the curved photonic lattice. It is also found that the modulation frequency can play an important role in synthesizing flat bands. This work not only presents a convenient way for producing curved photonic lattices with reconfigurability, but also puts forward a promising platform to investigate quantum-optical analogies in atomic vapors.

DOI
10.15302/frontphys.2025.062201

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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.
We experimentally demonstrated the formation of a one-dimensional electromagnetically induced optical lattice in coherently prepared three-level 85Rb Rydberg atomic vapors with electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). The one-dimensional photonic lattice was optically induced by a coupling field with a spatially periodical intensity distribution deriving from the interference of two strong Gaussian beams from the same laser source (~480 nm). Under the Rydberg-EIT condition, the incident weak probe beam can feel a tunable spatially modulated susceptibility, which is verified by the controllable discrete diffraction pattern observed at the output plane of the vapor cell. This investigation not only opens the door for experimentally introducing the strong interaction between Rydberg atoms to govern the beam dynamics in photonic lattices based on atomic coherence but also provides an easily accessible periodic environment for exploring Rydberg-atom physics and related applications.
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A 2D Kagome photonic lattice possesses special band structures involving a flat band that allows the localization state and Dirac cones that show linear dispersion. Here, we report the construction of an instantaneously reconfigurable electromagnetically induced Kagome lattice in a Λ-type 85 Rb atomic configuration theoretically and experimentally under the condition of electromagnetically induced transparency, which is excited by a weak Gaussian probe field and a strong coupling field with a Kagome intensity profile. The incident Gaussian probe field is discretely diffracted into a Kagome profile inside the atomic vapor cell with a spatially modulated susceptibility, which is induced by the structured coupling field generated by a liquid crystal spatial light modulator. We also explored the dynamical evolution of the probe field inside the Kagome photonic lattice by manipulating systematic parameters. This current work provides an alternative way to design instantaneously reconfigurable Kagome photonic lattices with a simplified experimental configuration. The instantaneous tunability may help to promote the discovery of underlying beam dynamics and the design of tunable devices relying on the properties of Kagome photonic structures.