arXiv subjects

Changbiao Li

Publications and source records attributed to Changbiao Li.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Observation of nonreciprocal transverse localization of light

Magnetic-free nonreciprocal optical devices that can prevent backscattering of signals are essential for integrated optical information processing. The achieved nonreciprocal behaviors mostly rely on various dispersive effects in optical media, which give rise to dispersive modulations of the transverse beam profile, such as spatial broadening and discretization, of the incident signals. Such deformation inevitably reduces the matching with subsequent components for information processing. Here we experimentally demonstrate the nonreciprocal transverse localization of light in a moir\'e photonic lattice induced in atomic vapors. When the probe field is set to co- or counter-propagate with the coupling field formed by superposing two identical honeycomb beams in a certain rotation angle, the output pattern can exhibit localized or dispersive behavior. The localization in the forward case is derived from the moir\'e structure, and the nonreciprocal behaviors (in both beam size and transmitted intensity) are introduced by the thermal motion of atoms. The thermal-motion-induced Doppler effect can destroy the coherent condition for electromagnetically induced transparency in the backward case, because of which the probe beam becomes immune to the modulation of the coupling field. The current work provides an approach to control the transverse beam profile in one-way transmission.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Beam dynamics induced by the quantum metric of exceptional rings

Topological physics has broadened its scope from the study of topological insulating phases to include nodal phases containing band structure singularities. The geometry of the corresponding quantum states is described by the quantum metric which provides a theoretical framework for explaining phenomena that conventional approaches fail to address. The field has become even broader by encompassing non-Hermitian singularities: in addition to Dirac, Weyl nodes, or nodal lines, it is now common to encounter exceptional points, exceptional or Weyl rings, and even Weyl spheres. They give access to fascinating effects that cannot be reached within the Hermitian picture. However, the quantum geometry of non-Hermitian singularities is not a straightforward extension of the Hermitian one, remaining far less understood. Here, we study experimentally and theoretically the dynamics of wave packets at exceptional rings stemming from Dirac points in a photonic honeycomb lattice. First, we demonstrate a transition between conical diffraction and non-Hermitian broadening in real space. Next, we predict and demonstrate a new non-Hermitian effect in the reciprocal space, induced by the non-orthogonality of the eigenstates. We call it transverse non-Hermitian drift, and its description requires biorthogonal quantum metric. The non-Hermitian drift can be used for applications in beam steering.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Nonreciprocal spontaneous parametric process

Mediated by the interaction with quantum vacuum fields, a laser field propagating in a nonlinear optical medium can generate new light fields via spontaneous parametric process. Such process is inherent independent of the propagation direction of light and reciprocal thus far, due to the direction-independent field-vacuum interaction. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate a nonreciprocal spontaneous parametric four-wave mixing process in sodium atomic vapors with dispersive nonlinearity and further broadband optical isolation by unidirectionally coupling the probe field to an auxiliary quantum vacuum field in another four-wave mixing process. Thanks to the broad bandwidth of the spontaneous parametric process, in combination with the Doppler and power-induced broadening of atomic energy levels, we achieve optical isolation with a bandwidth larger than 100 GHz for isolation ratio >25 dB. Considering that both spontaneous parametric processes and wave mixing in nonlinear medium have been realized in diverse on-chip photonic platforms, our work paves the way for integrated broadband optical isolations and thus can boost scalability and function of photonic chips.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2023

Direct generation of time-energy-entangled W triphotons in atomic vapor

Sources of entangled multiphotons are not only essential for fundamental tests of quantum foundations, but are also the cornerstone of a variety of optical quantum technologies today. Over past three decades, tremendous efforts have been devoted to creating multiphoton entanglement by multiplexing existing biphoton sources with linear optics and postselections. Different from all previous protocols, here we report, for the first time, the observation of continuous-mode time-energy-entangled W-class triphotons with an unprecedented generation rate directly through the process of spontaneous six-wave mixing (SSWM) in a four-level triple-Lambda atomic vapor cell. Facilitated by electromagnetically induced transparency and coherence control, our SSWM scheme enables versatile narrowband triphoton generation with many intriguing properties including long temporal coherence and controllable waveforms, ideal for implementing long-distance quantum communications, networking, and information processing by interfacing photons and atoms. Most importantly, our work paves a way for the development of a reliable and efficient genuine triphoton source, thus making the research on multiphoton entanglement within easy reach.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2021

Angular-dependent Klein tunneling in photonic graphene

The Klein paradox consists in the perfect tunneling of relativistic particles through high potential barriers. As a curious feature of particle physics, it is responsible for the exceptional conductive properties of graphene. It was recently studied in the context of atomic condensates and topological photonics and phononics. While in theory the perfect tunneling holds only for normal incidence, so far the angular dependence of the Klein tunneling and its strong variation with the barrier height were not measured experimentally. In this work, we capitalize on the versatility of atomic vapor cells with paraxial beam propagation and index patterning by electromagnetically-induced transparency. We report the first experimental observation of perfect Klein transmission in a 2D photonic system (photonic graphene) at normal incidence and measure the angular dependence. Counter-intuitively, but in agreement with the Dirac equation, we observe that the decay of the Klein transmission versus angle is suppressed by increasing the barrier height, a key result for the conductivity of graphene and its analogues.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2018

Particle-like behavior of topological defects in linear wave packets in photonic graphene

Topological defects, such as quantum vortices, determine the properties of quantum fluids. The study of their properties has been at the center of activity in solid state and BEC communities. On the other hand, the non-trivial behavior of wavepackets, such as the self-accelerating Airy beams, has also been intriguing physicists. Here, we study the formation, evolution, and interaction of optical vortices in wavepackets at the Dirac point in photonic graphene. We show that even in a non-interacting two-component system the topological excitations appearing in a wavepacket can still be considered as "particles", capable of mutual interaction, with their trajectory obeying the laws of dynamics.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2017

Greatly enhanced intensity-difference squeezing for narrow-band quantum metrology applications

Narrow-band intensity-difference squeezing beams have important applications in quantum metrology and gravitational wave detection. The best way to generate narrow-band intensity-difference squeezing is to employ parametrically-amplified four-wave mixing process in high-gain atomic media. Such IDS can be further enhanced by cascading multiple parametrically-amplified four-wave mixing processes in separate atomic media. The complicated experimental setup, added losses and required high-power pump laser with the increase of number of stages can limit the wide uses of such scheme in practical applications. Here, we show that by modulating the internal energy level(s) with additional laser(s), the degree of original intensity-difference squeezing can be substantially increased. With an initial intensity-difference squeezing of $-8.5\pm0.4$ dB using parametrically-amplified-non-degenerate four-wave mixing process in a three-level $Λ$-type configuration, the degree of intensity-difference squeezing can be enhanced to $-11.9\pm0.4$ dB/$-13.9\pm0.4$ dB (corrected for losses) when we use one/two laser beam(s) to modulate the involved ground/excited state(s). More importantly, a maximal noise reduction of $-9.7\pm0.4$ dB (only corrected for electronic noise) is observed below the standard quantum limit, which is the strongest reported to date in phase insensitive amplification in four-wave mixing. Applying the model to quantum metrology, the signal-to-noise ratio is improved by 23 dB compared to the conventional Mach-Zehnder interferometer under the same phase-sensing intensity, which is a 14-fold enhancement in rms phase measurement sensitivity beyond the shot noise limit. Our results show a low-loss, robust and efficient way to produce high degree of IDS and facilitate its potential applications.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2016

Transport properties in the photonic super-honeycomb lattice - a hybrid fermionic and bosonic system

We report on transport properties of the super-honeycomb lattice, the band structure of which possesses a flat band and Dirac cones, according to the tight-binding approximation. This super-honeycomb model combines the honeycomb lattice and the Lieb lattice and displays the properties of both. The super-honeycomb lattice also represents a hybrid fermionic and bosonic system, which is rarely seen in nature. By choosing the phases of input beams properly, the flat-band mode of the super-honeycomb will be excited and the input beams will exhibit strong localization during propagation. On the other hand, if the modes of Dirac cones of the super-honeycomb lattice are excited, one will observe conical diffraction. Furthermore, if the input beam is properly chosen to excite a sublattice of the super-honeycomb lattice and the modes of Dirac cones with different pseudospins, e.g., the three-beam interference pattern, the pseudospin-mediated vortices will be observed.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2016

Coherent and incoherent nonparaxial self-accelerating Weber beams

We investigate the coherent and incoherent nonparaxial Weber beams, theoretically and numerically. We show that the superposition of coherent self-accelerating Weber beams with transverse displacement cannot display the nonparaxial accelerating Talbot effect. The reason is that their lobes do not accelerate in unison, which is a requirement for the appearance of the effect. While for the incoherent Weber beams, they naturally cannot display the accelerating Talbot effect but can display the nonparaxial accelerating properties, although the transverse coherence length is smaller than the beam width, based on the second-order coherence theory. Our research method directly applies to the nonparaxial Mathieu beams as well, and one will obtain similar conclusions as for the Weber beams, although this is not discussed in the paper. Our investigation identifies families of nonparaxial accelerating beams that do not exhibit the accelerating Talbot effect, and in addition broadens the understanding of coherence properties of such nonparaxial accelerating beams.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2016

Nonparaxial accelerating Talbot effect

We demonstrate the fractional Talbot effect of nonpraxial accelerating beams, theoretically and numerically. It is based on the interference of nonparaxial accelerating solutions of the Helmholtz equation in two dimensions. The effect originates from the interfering lobes of a superposition of the solutions that accelerate along concentric semicircular trajectories with different radii. Talbot images form along certain central angles, which are referred to as the Talbot angles. The fractional nonparaxial Talbot effect is obtained by choosing the coefficients of beam components properly. A single nonparaxial accelerating beam possesses duality --- it can be viewed as a Talbot effect of itself with an infinite or zero Talbot angle. These results improve the understanding of nonparaxial accelerating beams and the Talbot effect among them.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2016

New face-centered photonic square lattices with flat bands

We report two new classes of face-centered photonic square lattices with flat bands which we call the Lieb-I and the Lieb-II lattices. There are 5 and 7 sites in the corresponding unit cells of the simplest Lieb-I and Lieb-II lattices, respectively. The number of flat bands $m$ in the new Lieb lattices is related to the number of sites $N$ in the unit cell by $m=(N-1)/2$. Physical properties of the lattices with even and odd number of flat bands are different. We also consider localization of light in such Lieb lattices. If the input beam excites the flat-band mode, it will not diffract during propagation, owing to the strong localization in the flat-band mode. For the Lieb-II lattice, we also find that the beam will oscillate and still not diffract during propagation, because of the intrinsic oscillating properties of certain flat-band modes. The period of oscillation is determined by the energy difference between the two flat bands. This study provides a new platform for the investigation of flat-band modes.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2016

Controllable circular Airy beams via dynamic linear potential

We investigate controllable spatial modulation of circular autofocusing Airy beams, under action of different dynamic linear potentials, both theoretically and numerically. We introduce a novel treatment method in which the circular Airy beam is represented as a superposition of narrow azimuthally-modulated one-dimensional Airy beams that can be analytically treated. The dynamic linear potentials are appropriately designed, so that the autofocusing effect can either be weakened or even eliminated when the linear potential exerts a "pulling" effect on the beam, or if the linear potential exerts a "pushing" effect, the autofocusing effect can be greatly strengthened. Numerical simulations agree with the theoretical results very well.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2015

Dispersion relations of strained as well as complex Lieb lattices

We investigate the dispersion relations of strained as well as complex Lieb lattices systematically based on the tight-binding method when the nearest-neighbor approximation is adopted. We find that edge states will no appear for strained Lieb lattices and $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetry Lieb lattice cannot be obtained.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2015

Two-dimensional linear and nonlinear Talbot effect from rogue waves

We introduce two-dimensional (2D) linear and nonlinear Talbot effects. They are produced by propagating periodic 2D diffraction patterns and can be visualized as 3D stacks of Talbot carpets. The nonlinear Talbot effect originates from 2D rogue waves and forms in a bulk 3D nonlinear medium. The recurrences of an input rogue wave are observed at the Talbot length and at the half-Talbot length, with a πphase shift; no other recurrences are observed. Different from the nonlinear Talbot effect, the linear effect displays the usual fractional Talbot images as well. We also find that the smaller the period of incident rogue waves, the shorter the Talbot length. Increasing the beam intensity increases the Talbot length, but above a threshold this leads to a catastrophic self-focusing phenomenon which destroys the effect. We also find that the Talbot recurrence can be viewed as a self-Fourier transform of the initial periodic beam that is automatically performed during propagation. In particular, linear Talbot effect can be viewed as a fractional self-Fourier transform, whereas the nonlinear Talbot effect can be viewed as the regular self-Fourier transform. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the rogue wave initial condition is sufficient but not necessary for the observation of the effect. It may also be observed from other periodic inputs, provided they are set on a finite background. The 2D effect may find utility in the production of 3D photonic crystals.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Interactions of incoherent localized beams in a photorefractive medium

We investigate numerically interactions between two bright or dark incoherent localized beams in an strontium barium niobate photorefractive crystal in one dimension, using the coherent density method. For the case of bright beams, if the interacting beams are in-phase, they attract each other during propagation and form bound breathers; if out-of-phase, the beams repel each other and fly away. The bright incoherent beams do not radiate much and form long-lived well-defined breathers or quasi-stable solitons. If the phase difference is $π/2$, the interacting beams may both attract or repel each other, depending on the interval between the two beams, the beam widths, and the degree of coherence. For the case of dark incoherent beams, in addition to the above the interactions also depend on the symmetry of the incident beams. As already known, an even-symmetric incident beam tends to split into a doublet, whereas an odd-symmetric incident beam tends to split into a triplet. When launched in pairs, the dark beams display dynamics consistent with such a picture and in general obey soliton-like conservation laws, so that the collisions are mostly elastic, leading to little energy and momentum exchange. But they also radiate and breathe while propagating. In all the cases, the smaller the interval between the two interacting beams, the stronger the mutual interaction. On the other hand, the larger the degree of incoherence, the weaker the interaction.

nlin.PS↗

arXiv2014

Three-dimensional nonparaxial accelerating beams from the transverse Whittaker integral

We investigate three-dimensional nonparaxial linear accelerating beams arising from the transverse Whittaker integral. They include different Mathieu, Weber, and Fresnel beams, among other. These beams accelerate along a semicircular trajectory, with almost invariant nondiffracting shapes. The transverse patterns of accelerating beams are determined by their angular spectra, which are constructed from the Mathieu functions, Weber functions, and Fresnel integrals. Our results not only enrich the understanding of multidimensional nonparaxial accelerating beams, but also display their real applicative potential -- owing to the usefulness of Mathieu and Weber functions, and Fresnel integrals in describing a wealth of wave phenomena in nature.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Interactions of Airy beams, nonlinear accelerating beams, and induced solitons in Kerr and saturable nonlinear media

We investigate numerically interactions between two in-phase or out-of-phase Airy beams and nonlinear accelerating beams in Kerr and saturable nonlinear media in one transverse dimension. We discuss different cases in which the beams with different intensities are launched into the medium, but accelerate in opposite directions. Since both the Airy beams and nonlinear accelerating beams possess infinite oscillating tails, we discuss interactions between truncated beams, with finite energies. During interactions we see solitons and soliton pairs generated that are not accelerating. In general, the higher the intensities of interacting beams, the easier to form solitons; when the intensities are small enough, no solitons are generated. Upon adjusting the interval between the launched beams, their interaction exhibits different properties. If the interval is large relative to the width of the first lobes, the generated soliton pairs just propagate individually and do not interact much. However, if the interval is comparable to the widths of the maximum lobes, the pairs strongly interact and display varied behavior.

nlin.PS↗

arXiv2014

The Nonlinear Talbot Effect of Rogue Waves

Akhmediev and Kuznetsov-Ma breathers are rogue wave solutions of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE). Talbot effect (TE) is an image recurrence phenomenon in the diffraction of light waves. We report the nonlinear TE of rogue waves in a cubic medium. It is different from the linear TE, in that the wave propagates in a NL medium and is an eigenmode of NLSE. Periodic rogue waves impinging on a NL medium exhibit recurrent behavior, but only at the TE length and at the half-TE length with a π-phase shift; the fractional TE is absent. The NL TE is the result of the NL interference of the lobes of rogue wave breathers. This interaction is related to the transverse period and intensity of breathers, in that the bigger the period and the higher the intensity, the shorter the TE length.

nlin.PS↗