Linear media are predicted to exist whose relative permiability is an operator in the space of quantum states of light. Such media are characterized by a photon statistics--dependent refractive index. This indicates a new type of optical dispersion -- the photon statistics dispersion. Interaction of quantum light with such media modifies the photon number distribution and, in particular, the degree of coherence of light. An excitonic composite -- a collection of noninteracting quantum dots -- is considered as a realization of the medium with the photon statistics dispersion. Expressions are derived for generalized plane waves in an excitonic composite and input--output relations for a planar layer of the material. Transformation rules for different photon initial states are analyzed. Utilization of the photon statistics dispersion in potential quantum--optical devices is discussed.
Linear media are predicted to exist whose relative permiability is an operator in the space of quantum states of light. Such media are characterized by a photon statistics--dependent refractive index. This indicates a new type of optical dispersion -- the photon statistics dispersion. Interaction of quantum light with such media modifies the photon number distribution and, in particular, the degree of coherence of light. An excitonic composite -- a collection of noninteracting quantum dots -- is considered as a realization of the medium with the photon statistics dispersion. Expressions are derived for generalized plane waves in an excitonic composite and input--output relations for a planar layer of the material. Transformation rules for different photon initial states are analyzed. Utilization of the photon statistics dispersion in potential quantum--optical devices is discussed.
Quantum light excitation of Coulomb-coupled nanostructures, such as semiconductor quantum dots or light harvesting molecules, is analyzed for fixed light intensity but different photon statistics. The theory predicts a different excitation efficiency of the exciting light (thermal, coherent, and squeezed light) on the creation of optically active excitons and biexcitons. In particular, measurable differences and a strong dependence for the creation efficiency of biexcitons on the photon statistics are obtained.
We present a three-dimensional quantum theory of light scattering, absorption, and emission in arbitrary planar dielectric systems. The theory is based on a scheme for quantization of the electromagnetic field in dispersive and lossy arbitrary planar dielectrics that takes explicitly into account the finite extent of the medium. We present general quantum-optical input–output relations of the output TE and TM photon operators to the corresponding input photon operators and to the reservoir noise operators. These three-dimensional input–output relations are uniquely determined by knowledge of the classical light modes of the planar dielectric structure.
Understanding the complex interactions of the quantum light with different media provides valuable insights into potential applications in quantum tomography, microscopy, circuit and network design, and imaging. This thesis investigates quantum light interaction with two types of media: I. Random media entailing multiple scattering (Chapters 2-5), and II. Structured media, specifically designed to control quantum interferences (Chapters 6 and 7). In the first part of the thesis, and through solving the Lippmann-Schwinger equation for collections of small scatterers, a first principle scalar model for multiple scattering in finite-sized random media is developed. This efficient numerical model serves as the basis for investigating the coherent backscattering, a manifestation of weak localization in random media, for several bounded random media and various illuminations. Through employing mode expansion, next, the developed model is adapted to a general class of quantum-optical studies and quantum correlations are successfully derived and analyzed in scattering from finite disordered structures as well as systems of few scatterers. In multiple scattering of two-photon states in weak localization regime, the emergence of coherent two-photon backscattering is presented for the first time in coincidence detection, and it is demonstrated that quantum correlations can be used as a probe of entanglement dimensionality. Multiple scattering of two-photon states results in granular patterns known as speckle patterns. The statistical properties of single- and two-photon speckle patterns in scattering of different states are numerically calculated and the speckle visibilities and relevant parameters are derived. Specifically, the deviation of the probability density functions from negative exponential distributions, traditionally recognized as Rayleigh statistics in classical scattering, is identified, and shown to significantly depend on the presence of entanglement. Lastly, a different numerical implementation (based on COMSOL Multiphysics package) is used to consolidate our findings by incorporating the polarization effects. Coherent backscattering and coherent two-photon backscattering are observed for co-polarized fields in scattering from synthesized disordered media. It is demonstrated that depending on the particle exchange symmetry in polarization entangled excitation, the photons can exhibit statistical tendency to bunch together in the same mode, appear in separate modes (antibunching), or show a mixed response after multiple scattering. These bosonic-, fermionic-, and anyonic-like behaviors are studied in connection with coherent backscattering phenomenon, and it is demonstrated that the degree of enhancement in backscattering depends on the exchange symmetries. The simplicity and effectiveness of the implemented scattering analysis and the significance of the consequent conclusions suggest our approach as a promising platform for ‘numerical experiments’ without the limitations of analytical or semi-analytical models, and a practical tool prior to experiments. In the second part of the thesis, the random media operating as multimode platforms are replaced with engineered surfaces, i.e., metasurfaces, to realize targeted quantum interferences. First, a design roadmap for general lossy, asymmetric, and unbalanced coupling networks is presented, allowing to achieve maximum programmability in two-photon interferences. Next, two switchable metasurface-based coupling networks are designed to control nonclassical two-photon interferences via thermally driven crystallographic phase transitions. Numerical simulations confirm smooth transition between coalescence and anti-coalescence, aiming to address the current need in quantum optics for free-space compact devices creating tunable quantum interferences and acting as fast modulators for the second order quantum correlations. Our proposed compact and rapidly controllable devices pave the way towards new quantum applications as well as improving the current free-space quantum systems.
Dynamical and statistical behaviors of Frenkel excitons in a matter system consisting of N two-level-atoms and interacting with an external field are studied with the molecular field and random phase approximations. Existence of a phase transition is suggested both in the exciton system and exciton-photon coupled system. This phase transition is the second order transition whose order parameter is the polarizability. A new type of condensation of the photon-exciton coupled wave, in which a macroscopic number of excitons and photons participate, has been found as a result of appreciable contribution of photons to the phase transition. When the incident light is coherent, the condition of phase transition is modified by photon induced exciton-exciton interaction. The energy dispersion of elementary excitations is derived.
The effects of two-photon absorption from a single beam of light on the statistical properties of the beam are considered. Simple expressions are obtained for the initial rates of change and limiting steady-state values of the mean photon number and degree of second-order coherence of the beam. The general time dependences of these properties of the light and of the complete photon probability distribution are evaluated for several initial types of beam. The physical significance of the results is described, and their relationship to calculations which use a classical representation of the light is discussed.
The nonlinear optical response of an ensemble of semiconductor quantum dots is analyzed by wave-mixing processes, where we focus on four-wave mixing with two incident pulses. Wave-mixing experiments are often described with semiclassical models, where the light is modeled classically and the material quantum mechanically. Here, however, we use a fully quantized model, where the light is given by a quantum state of light. Quantum light involves more degrees of freedom than classical light as e.g., its photon statistics and quantum correlations, which is a promising resource for quantum devices, such as quantum memories. The light-matter interaction is treated with a Jaynes-Cummings type model and the quantum field is given by a single mode since the quantum dots are embedded in a microcavity. We present numerical simulations of the four-wave-mixing response of a homogeneous system for pulse sequences and find a significant dependence of the result on the photon statistics of the incident pulses. The model constitutes a problem with a large state space which arises from the frequency distribution of the transition energies of the inhomogeneously broadened quantum dot ensemble that is coupled with a quantum light mode. Here we approximate the dynamics by summing over individual quantum dot-microcavity systems. Photon echoes arising from the excitation with different quantum states of light are simulated and compared.