分类: 光学 >> 量子光学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: Infrared optical measurement has a wide range of applications in industry and science, but infrared light detectors suffer from high costs and inferior performance than visible light detectors. Four-wave mixing (FWM) process allows detection in the infrared range by detecting correlated visible light. We experimentally investigate the stimulated FWM process in a hot $^{85}$Rb atomic vapor cell, in which a weak infrared signal laser at $1530~$nm induces the FWM process and is amplified and converted into a strong FWM light at $780~$nm, the latter can be detected more easily. We find the optimized single- and two-photon detunings by studying the dependence of the frequency of input laser on the generated FWM light. What's more, the power gain increases rapidly as the signal intensity decreases, which is consistent with our theoretical analysis. As a result, the power gain can reach up to 500 at a signal laser power of $0.1~\mu$W and the number of detected photons increased by a factor of 250. Finally, we experimentally prove that our amplification process can work in a broad band in the frequency domain by exploring the response rate of our stimulated FWM process.
分类: 光学 >> 量子光学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: Quantum nonlinear interferometers (QNIs) can measure the infrared physical quantities of a sample by detecting visible photons. A QNI with Michelson geometry based on the spontaneous parametric down-conversion in a second-order nonlinear crystal is studied systematically. A simplified theoretical model of the QNI is presented. The interference visibility, coherence length, equal-inclination interference, and equal-thickness interference for the QNI are demonstrated theoretically and experimentally. As an application example of the QNI, the refractive index and the angle between two surfaces of a BBO crystal are measured using equal-inclination interference and equal-thickness interference.
分类: 光学 >> 量子光学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: Vectorial structured light with spatially varying amplitude, phase, and polarization is reshaping many areas of modern optics, including nonlinear optics, as diverse parametric processes can be used to explore interactions between such complex vector fields, extending the frontiers of optics to new physical phenomena. However, the most basic nonlinear application, i.e., frequency conversion, still remains challenging for vectorial structured light since parametric processes are polarization dependent, leading to a change in the spatial topological structure of signals. In this work, to break this fundamental limit, we propose a novel conformal frequency conversion scheme that allows to maintain the full spatial structure of vectorial structured light in the conversion; and systematically examine its spatial polarization independence based on non-degenerate sum-frequency generation with type-0 phase matching. This proof-of-principle demonstration paves the way for a wide range of applications requiring conformal frequency conversion, and, particularly, to implement frequency interfaces with multimodal communication channels, high-dimensional quantum states, and polarization-resolved upconversion imaging.
分类: 光学 >> 量子光学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: In analog to counterparts widely used in electronic circuits, all optical non-reciprocal devices are basic building blocks for both classical and quantum optical information processing. Approaching the fundamental limit of such devices, where the propagation of a single photon exhibits a good non-reciprocal characteristic, requires an asymmetric strong coupling between a single photon and a matter. Unfortunately it has been not realized yet. Here, we propose and experimentally realize a quantum non-reciprocity device with low optical losses and a high isolation of larger than 14 dB based on the cold atoms. Besides, the non-reciprocal transmission of a quantum qubit and non-reciprocal quantum storage of a true single photon are also realized. All results achieved would be very promising in building up quantum non-reciprocal devices for quantum networks.
分类: 光学 >> 量子光学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: The change in the relative phase between two light fields serves as a basic principle for the measurement of the physical quantity that guides this change. It would therefore be highly advantageous if the relative phase could be amplified to enhance the measurement resolution. One well-known method for phase amplification involves the use of the multi-photon number and path entangled state known as the NOON state; however, a high-number NOON state is very difficult to prepare and is highly sensitive to optical losses. Here we propose and experimentally demonstrate in principle a phase amplifier scheme with the assistance of a harmonic generation process. The relative phase difference between two polarization modes in a polarized interferometer is amplified coherently four times with cascaded second-harmonic generation processes. We demonstrate that these amplification processes can be recycled and therefore have the potential to realize much higher numbers of multiple amplification steps. The phase amplification method presented here shows considerable advantages over the method based on NOON states and will be highly promising for use in precision optical measurements.
分类: 光学 >> 量子光学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: Frequency up-conversion is an effective method of mid-infrared (MIR) detection by converting the long-wavelength photons to the visible domain, where efficient detectors are readily available. Here, we generate the MIR light carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) from a difference frequency generation process and perform the up-conversion of it via sum frequency conversion in a bulk quasi-phase-matching crystal. The maximum quantum conversion efficiencies from MIR to visible are 34.0%, 10.4%, and 3.5% for light with topological charges of 0, 1, and 2, respectively, which is achieved by utilizing an optimized strong pump light. We also verify the OAM conservation with a specially designed interferometer, and the results agree well with the numerical simulations. Our study opens up the possibilities for generating, manipulating, and detecting MIR light that carries OAM, and will have great potential for optical communications and remote sensing in the MIR regime.
分类: 光学 >> 量子光学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: Orbital angular momentum (OAM) conservation plays an important role in shaping and controlling structured light with nonlinear optics. The OAM of a beam originating from three-wave mixing should be the sum or difference of the other two inputs because no light-matter OAM exchange occurs in parametric nonlinear interactions. Here, we report anomalous OAM conservation during parametric upconversion, in which a Hermite-Gauss mode signal interacts with a specially engineered pump capable of astigmatic transformation in a crystal, resulting in Laguerre-Gaussian mode sum-frequency generation (SFG). The anomaly here refers to the fact that the pump and signal carry no net OAM, while their SFG does. We show that the lost OAM with the opposite sign that maintains OAM conservation in the system is hidden in the residual pump. This unexpected OAM selection rule improves our understanding of OAM conservation in parametric nonlinear systems and may inspire new ideas for controlling OAM states via nonlinear optics, especially in quantum applications.
分类: 光学 >> 量子光学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: Optical interference is not only a fundamental phenomenon that has enabled new theories of light to be derived but it has also been used in interferometry for the measurement of small displacements, refractive index changes and surface irregularities. In a two-beam interferometer, variations in the interference fringes are used as a diagnostic for anything that causes the optical path difference (OPD) to change; therefore, for a specified OPD, greater variation in the fringes indicates better measurement sensitivity. Here, we introduce and experimentally validate an interesting optical interference phenomenon that uses photons with a structured frequency-angular spectrum, which are generated from a spontaneous parametric down-conversion process in a nonlinear crystal. This interference phenomenon is manifested as interference fringes that vary much more rapidly with increasing OPD than the corresponding fringes for equal-inclination interference; the phenomenon is parameterised using an equivalent wavelength, which under our experimental conditions is 29.38 nm or about 1/27 of the real wavelength. This phenomenon not only enriches the knowledge with regard to optical interference but also offers promise for applications in interferometry.
分类: 光学 >> 量子光学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: The comet-tail-like interference patterns are observed using photons from the spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) process. The patterns are caused by the angular-spectrum-dependent interference and the diffraction of a blazed grating. We present the theoretical explanation and simulation results for these patterns, which are in good agreement with the experimental results. The most significant feature of the patterns is the bright parabolic contour profile, from which, one can deduce the parameter of the parabolic tuning curve of the SPDC process. This method could be helpful in designing experiments based on SPDC.
分类: 光学 >> 量子光学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: Exploring the physics and potential applications of vectorially structured light with propagation-invariant transverse structures has benefited many areas of modern optics and photonics. In this paper, we investigate the non-eigen vector modes of paraxial light fields, focusing on the propagation variations and revivals of their transverse structures, including both spatial and polarization structures. We show that the physical mechanism behind the variations and revivals of their transverse structure is linked to the evolution of the intramodal phases between the constituting spatial modes. Such evolution originates from fractional Gouy phases, or rather, Geometric-phase difference between spatial modes with different orders under a same unitary transformation. This underlying principle, provides a general guideline for shaping vectorially structured light with custom propagation-evolution properties, and may also inspire a wide variety of new applications based on structured light.