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International Journal of Modern Physics C

Few-photon diode in a chiral waveguide modulated by Rydberg atoms

Teng-Fei Xiao, Junlong Tian, Jinlei Tan, Jie Peng

Published Mar 3, 2026• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

We investigate single- and two-photon transport in a one-dimensional waveguide chirally coupled to dissipative Rydberg atom pairs. Using the Laplace transform method, we analytically solve the single- and two-photon scattering problems. Our results show that, by leveraging dissipative effects and the chiral coupling structure, the system can act as a perfect single-photon diode, i.e. the transmittance is unity from one side and zero from the other. A two-photon diode is also realized. Interestingly, the transmitted probability density of the diode increases significantly when atomic dissipation is included. Notably, in the absence of dissipation, transmission is primarily due to correlated photons, whereas in the dissipative system, it is dominated by freely propagating photons. Furthermore, the Rydberg coupling between the atoms, which is experimentally tunable, can be used to modulate the diode effect. Finally, we find that reducing the width of the incident photon wavepacket further enhances the transmission probability density of the two-photon diode. The proposed scheme has potential for applications in quantum communication.

DOI
10.1142/s0129183127500690

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We study the coherent transport of one or two photons in a one-dimensional waveguide chirally coupled to a nonlinear resonator. Analytic solutions of the one-photon and two-photon scattering is derived. Although the resonator acts as a non-reciprocal phase shifter, light transmission is reciprocal at one-photon level. However, the forward and reverse transmitted probabilities for two photons incident from either the left side or the right side of the nonlinear resonator are nonreciprocal due to the energy redistribution of the two-photon bound state. Hence, the nonlinear resonator acts as an optical diode at two-photon level.
Abstract We propose a scheme to realize a single-photon diode and circulator using two waveguides chirally coupled to a five-level M -type atom. Two external control fields are introduced to drive the emitter. Non-reciprocal single-photon propagation can be completed in our scheme, which underpins the single-photon diode and circulator. The single-photon diode can work well at special frequency points of the incident photon simultaneously. We can modulate the Rabi frequencies and detunings of the control fields to satisfy various values of frequency points of the incident photon. In addition, the non-reciprocity of the photon propagation can be turned off or on when the control fields are turned off or on. A single-frequency filter can filter out a special frequency for the incident photon by adjusting the detunings of the control fields. The single-photon circulator can realize photon propagation in the pathways 1 → 2 , 2 → 3 , 3 → 4 , 4 → 1 with probability 100%. The properties of the circulator can be modulated by adjusting the Rabi frequencies and detunings of the control fields.
We study coherent few-photon transport in a dissipative nonlinear cavity coupled to a 1D waveguide, deriving analytical solutions that reveal how cavity dissipation regulates the few-photon diode effect. Key findings show that under Γ/𝜆 = 1 (Γ:waveguide-cavity coupling, 𝜆: dissipation) and 𝛿1 = 0Γ:(1) For single photons, left incidence yields perfect transmission while right incidence causes complete dissipation absorption, forming an efficient single-photon diode;(2) For two photons under single-photon resonance, left incidence allows unimpeded transmission whereas right incidence results in near-total dissipation (> 99%)leaving only a faint bound state, maintaining strong diode characteristics despite minimal transmission. The condition Γ/𝜆 = 1 optimizes directional suppression via cavity dissipation, providing a theoretical foundation for quantum diode devices in integrated quantum optics and information processing.
We investigated the transmission of single and two photons in a one-dimensional waveguide that is coupled with a Kerr micro-ring resonator and a polarized quantum emitter. In both cases, a phase shift occurs, and the non-reciprocal behavior of the system is attributed to the unbalanced coupling between the quantum emitter and the resonator. Our analytical solutions and numerical simulations demonstrate that the nonlinear resonator scattering causes the energy redistribution of the two photons through the bound state. When the system is in the two-photon resonance state, the polarization of the correlated two photons is locked to their propagation direction, leading to non-reciprocity. As a result, our configuration can act as an optical diode.
We study single-photon scattering spectra of a giant atom chirally coupled to a one-dimensional waveguide at multiple connection points, and examine chirality-induced effects in the scattering spectra. We show that the transmission spectra typically possess an anti-Lorentzian lineshape with a nonzero minimum, but by engineering the chirality of the multipoint coupling, the transmission spectrum of an incident photon can undergo a transition from complete transmission to total reflection at multiple frequency ``windows,'' where the width of the anti-Lorentzian lineshape for each of the window can be flexibly tuned at a fixed frequency detuning. Moreover, we show that a perfect nonreciprocal photon scattering can be achieved due to the interplay between internal atomic spontaneous emission and the chirally external decay to the waveguide, in contrast to that induced by the non-Markovian retardation effect. We also consider the non-Markovian retardation effect on the scattering spectra, which allows for a photonic band gap even with only two chiral coupling points. The giant-atom-waveguide system with chiral coupling is a promising candidate for realizing single-photon routers with multiple channels.