arXiv subjects

Li Ge

Publications and source records attributed to Li Ge.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

Rotation-induced Mode Coupling in Open Wavelength-scale Microcavities

We study the interplay between rotation and openness for mode coupling in wavelength-scale microcavities. In cavities deformed from a circular disk, the decay rates of a quasi-degenerate pair of resonances may cross or anti-cross with increasing rotation speed. The standing-wave resonances evolve to traveling-wave resonances at high rotation speed, however, both the clockwise (CW) and counter-clockwise (CCW) traveling-wave resonances can have a lower cavity decay rate, in contrary to the intuitive expectation from rotation-dependent effective index. With increasing rotation speed, a phase locking between the CW and CCW wave components in a resonance takes place. These phenomena result from the rotation-induced mode coupling, which is strongly influenced by the openness of the microcavity. The possibility of a non-monotonic Sagnac effect is also discussed.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Active control of emission directionality of semiconductor microdisk lasers

We demonstrate lasing mode selection in nearly circular semiconductor microdisks by shaping the spatial profile of optical pump. Despite of strong mode overlap, adaptive pumping suppresses all lasing modes except the targeted one. Due to slight deformation of the cavity shape and boundary roughness, each lasing mode has distinct emission pattern. By selecting different mode to be the dominant lasing mode, we can switch both the lasing frequency and the output direction. Such tunability by external pump after the laser is fabricated enhances the functionality of semiconductor microcavity lasers.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Rotation-induced Asymmetry of Far-field Emission from Optical Microcavities

We study rotation-induced asymmetry of far-field emission from optical microcavities, based on which a new scheme of rotation detection may be developed. It is free from the "dead zone" caused by the frequency splitting of standing-wave resonances at rest, in contrast to the Sagnac effect. A coupled-mode theory is employed to provide a quantitative explanation and guidance on the optimization of the far-field sensitivity to rotation. We estimate that a 10^4 enhancement of the minimal detectable rotation speed can be achieved by measuring the far-field asymmetry, instead of the Sagnac effect, in microcavities 5 microns in radius and with distinct emission directions for clockwise and counterclockwise waves.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Exceptional points and lasing self-termination in photonic molecules

We investigate the rich physics of photonic molecule lasers using a non-Hermitian dimer model. We show that several interesting features, predicted recently using a rigorous steady state ab-initio laser theory (SALT), can be captured by this toy model. In particular, we demonstrate the central role played by exceptional points in both pump-selective lasing and laser self-terminations phenomena. Due to its transparent mathematical structure, our model provides a lucid understanding for how different physical parameters (optical loss, modal coupling between microcavities and pump profiles) affect the lasing action. Interestingly, our analysis also confirms that, for frequency mismatched cavities, operation in the proximity of exceptional points (without actually crossing the square root singularities) can still lead to laser self-termination. We confirm this latter prediction for two coupled slab cavities using scattering matrix analysis and SALT technique. In addition, we employ our model to investigate the pump-controlled lasing action and we show that emission patterns are governed by the locations of exceptional points in the gain parameter space. Finally we extend these results to multi-cavity photonic molecules, where we found the existence of higher-order EPs and pump-induced localization.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Quantum fisher information in noninertial frames

We investigate the performance of quantum fisher information under the Unruh-Hawking effect, where one of the observers (eg, Rob) is uniformly accelerated with respect to other partners. In the context of relativistic quantum information theory, we demonstrate that quantum fisher information, as an important measure of the information content of quantum states, has a rich and subtle physical structure comparing with entanglement or Bell nonlocality. In this work, we mainly focus on the parameterized (and arbitrary) pure two-qubit states, where the weight parameter $θ$ and phase parameter $ϕ$ are naturally introduced. Intriguingly, we prove that $\mathcal{F}_θ$ keeps unchanged for both scalar and Dirac fields. Meanwhile, we observe that $\mathcal{F}_ϕ$ decreases with the increase of acceleration $r$ but remains finite in the limit of infinite acceleration. More importantly, our results show that the symmetry of $\mathcal{F}_ϕ$ (with respect to $θ=π/4$) has been broken by the influence of Unruh effect for both cases.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2013

Breaking of PT-symmetry in bounded and unbounded scattering systems

PT-symmetric scattering systems with balanced gain and loss can undergo a symmetry-breaking transition in which the eigenvalues of the non-unitary scattering matrix change their phase shifts from real to complex values. We relate the PT-symmetry breaking points of such an unbounded scattering system to those of underlying bounded systems. In particular, we show how the PT-thresholds in the scattering matrix of the unbounded system translate into analogous transitions in the Robin boundary conditions of the corresponding bounded systems. Based on this relation, we argue and then confirm that the PT-transitions in the scattering matrix are, under very general conditions, entirely insensitive to a variable coupling strength between the bounded region and the unbounded asymptotic region, a result that can be tested experimentally and visualized using the concept of Smith charts.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2013

Pattern Formation and Strong Nonlinear Interactions in Exciton-Polariton Condensates

Exciton-polaritons generated by light-induced potentials can spontaneously condense into macroscopic quantum states that display nontrivial spatial and temporal density modulation. While these patterns and their dynamics can be reproduced through the solution of the generalized Gross-Pitaevskii equation, a predictive theory of their thresholds, oscillation frequencies, and multi-pattern interactions has so far been lacking. Here we represent such an approach based on the linear non-Hermitian modes of the complex-valued light-induced potential. We provide a simple analytic expression for the lowest thresholds that is able to explain the modal patterns observed in recent experiments for various pump geometries. We also show that the evolution of the condensate with increasing pump strength is strongly geometry dependent and can display contrasting features such as enhancement or reduction of the spatial localization of the condensate.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Multimode Coupling by Boundary Wave Scattering

We show that coupling among multiple resonances can be conveniently introduced and controlled by boundary wave scattering. We demonstrate this principle in optical microcavities of quasi-circular shape, where the couplings of multiple modes are determined by the scattering from different harmonic boundary deformations. We analyze these couplings using a perturbation theory, which gives an intuitive understanding of the first-order and higher-order scattering processes. Different scattering paths between two boundary waves can either enhance or reduce their coupling strength. The effect of controlled multimode coupling is most pronounced in the direction of output from an open cavity, which can cause a dramatic change of the external cavity field distribution.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2013

Gain-tunable optomechanical cooling in a laser cavity

We study the optical cooling of the resonator mirror in a cavity-optomechanical system that contains an optical gain medium. We find that the optical damping rate is vanishingly small for an incoherently pumped laser above threshold. In the presence of an external coherent drive however, the optical damping rate can be enhanced substantially with respect to that of a passive cavity. We show that the strength of the incoherent pump provides a conduit to tune the damping rate and the minimum attainable phonon number with the same radiation pressure force, and the latter can be lowered from that of a passive cavity if the thermal contribution is nonnegligible. We also show that the system can undergo a transition from the weak optomechanical coupling regime to the strong optomechanical coupling regime as the incoherent pump strength is varied.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2013

Sine-Gordon model coupled with a free scalar field emergent in the low-energy phase dynamics of a mixture of pseudospin-1/2 Bose gases with interspecies spin exchange

Using the approach of low-energy effective field theory, the phase diagram is studied for a mixture of two species of pseudospin-$\1/2$ Bose atoms with interspecies spin-exchange. There are four mean-field regimes on the parameter plane of $g_e$ and $g_z$, where $g_e$ is the interspecies spin-exchange interaction strength, while $g_z$ is the difference between the interaction strength of interspecies scattering without spin-exchange of equal spins and that of unequal spins. Two regimes, with $|g_z| > |g_e|$, correspond to ground states with the total spins of the two species parallel or antiparallel along $z$ direction, and the low energy excitations are equivalent to those of two-component spinless Bosons. The other two regimes, with $|g_e| > |g_z|$, correspond to ground states with the total spins of the two species parallel or antiparallel on $xy$ plane, and the low energy excitations are described by a sine-Gordon model coupled with a free scalar field, where the effective fields are combinations of the phases of the original four Boson fields. In (1+1)-dimension, they are described by Kosterlitz-Thouless renormalization group (RG) equations, and there are three sectors in the phase plane of a scaling dimension and a dimensionless parameter proportional to the strength of the cosine interaction, both depending on the densities. The gaps of these elementary excitations are experimental probes of the underlying many-body ground states.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2012

Antisymmetric PT-photonic structures with balanced positive and negative index materials

We propose a new class of synthetic optical materials in which the refractive index satisfies $n(-\bx)=-n^*(\bx)$. We term such systems antisymmetric parity-time (APT) structures. Unlike PT-symmetric systems which require balanced gain and loss, i.e. $n(-\bx)=n^*(\bx)$, APT systems consist of balanced positive and negative index materials. Despite the seemingly PT-symmetric optical potential $V(\bx)\equiv n(\bx)^2ω^2/c^2$, APT systems are not invariant under combined PT operations due to the discontinuity of the spatial derivative of the wavefunction. We show that APT systems can display intriguing properties such as spontaneous phase transition of the scattering matrix, bidirectional invisibility, and a continuous lasing spectrum.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2012

Extreme Sensitivity of Output Directionality to Boundary Perturbation in Wavelength-Scale Microcavities

We report a surprising observation that the output directionality from wavelength-scale optical microcavities displays extreme sensitivity to deformations of the cavity shape. A variation of the cavity boundary on the order of ten thousandth of a wavelength may flip the output directions by 180 degrees. Our analysis based on a perturbation theory reveals that a tiny shape variation can cause a strong mixing of nearly degenerate cavity resonances with different angular momenta, and their interference determines the farfield emission pattern. This work shows the possibility of utilizing carefully-designed wavelength-scale microcavities for high-resolution detection and sensing applications.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2012

Pump-induced Exceptional Points in Lasers

We demonstrate that the above-threshold behavior of a laser can be strongly affected by exceptional points which are induced by pumping the laser nonuniformly. At these singularities, the eigenstates of the non-Hermitian operator which describes the lasing modes coalesce. In their vicinity, the laser may turn off even when the overall pump power deposited in the system is increased. Such signatures of a pump- induced exceptional point can be experimentally probed with coupled ridge or microdisk lasers.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2012

Local chirality of optical waves in ultrasmall resonators

The local chiral symmetry between clockwise (CW) and counter-clockwise (CCW) propagating light in a deformed microcavity can be broken by wave optics effects, which become significant as the cavity size approaches the wavelength. We show that the spatial separation of the CW and CCW ray orbits underlying the high quality factor resonant modes results in unidirectional emission in free space. In the presence of a waveguide, evanescent coupling also becomes directional, and the output direction can be varied by selecting the coupling position along the cavity boundary. Our results demonstrate that the local chirality can be utilized to control the output directionality and enhance the collection efficiency of emission from ultrasmall resonators.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2011

Field theory of low energy excitations of a mixture of two species of pseudospin-1/2 Bose gases with interspecies spin-exchange

We develop a low energy effective field theory of a mixture of two species of pseudospin-1/2 atoms with interspecies spin-exchange, in addition to density-density interaction. This approach is beyond the single orbital-mode approximation. In a wide parameter regime, it indicates the existence of the four elementary excitations, especially a gapped mode due to interspecies spin-exchange. On the other hand, the spectrum of the effective spin Hamiltonian yielded by the single mode approximation can be obtained by quantizing the homogeneous excitation, which is spin excitation and is the long-wavelength limit of the gapped mode of elementary excitations. These low energy excitations can be experimentally measured by using Bragg spectroscopy.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2011

Conservation relations and anisotropic transmission resonances in one-dimensional PT-symmetric photonic heterostructures

We analyze the optical properties of one-dimensional (1D) PT-symmetric structures of arbitrary complexity. These structures violate normal unitarity (photon flux conservation) but are shown to satisfy generalized unitarity relations, which relate the elements of the scattering matrix and lead to a conservation relation in terms of the transmittance and (left and right) reflectances. One implication of this relation is that there exist anisotropic transmission resonances in PT-symmetric systems, frequencies at which there is unit transmission and zero reflection, but only for waves incident from a single side. The spatial profile of these transmission resonances is symmetric, and they can occur even at PT-symmetry breaking points. The general conservation relations can be utilized as an experimental signature of the presence of PT-symmetry and of PT-symmetry breaking transitions. The uniqueness of PT-symmetry breaking transitions of the scattering matrix is briefly discussed by comparing to the corresponding non-Hermitian Hamiltonians.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2011

Ground states of a mixture of two species of spin-1 Bose gases with interspecies spin exchange in a magnetic field

We consider a mixture of two species of spin-1 atoms with both interspecies and intraspecies spin exchanges in a weak magnetic field. Under the usual single mode approximation, it can be reduced to a model of coupled giant spins. We find most of its ground states. This is a complicated problem of energy minimization, with three quantum variables under constraints, i.e. the total spin of each species and the total spin of the whole mixture, as well as four parameters, including intraspecies and interspecies spin coupling strengths and the magnetic field. The quantum phase diagram is very rich. Compared with the case without a magnetic field, the ground states are modified by a magnetic field, which also modifies the ground state boundaries or introduces new crossover regimes on the phase diagram. Without interspecies spin coupling, the quantum phase transitions existing in absence of a magnetic field disappear when a magnetic field is applied, which leads to crossover regimes in the phase diagram. Under ferromagnetic interspecies spin coupling, the ground states remain disentangled no matter whether there is a magnetic field. For antiferromagnetic interspecies spin coupling, a magnetic field entangles the ground states in some parameter regimes. When the intraspecies spin couplings are both ferromagnetic, the quantum phase transition between antiferromagnetic and zero interspecies spin couplings survives the magnetic field. When the intraspecies spin couplings are both antiferromagnetic, a magnetic field induces new quantum phase transitions between antiferromagnetic and zero interspecies spin couplings.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2011

Steady-State Ab Initio Laser Theory for N-level Lasers

We show that Steady-state Ab initio Laser Theory (SALT) can be applied to find the stationary multimode lasing properties of an N-level laser. This is achieved by mapping the N-level rate equations to an effective two-level model of the type solved by the SALT algorithm. This mapping yields excellent agreement with more computationally demanding N-level time domain solutions for the steady state.

physics.optics↗