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Matthias Heinrich

Publications and source records attributed to Matthias Heinrich.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
arXiv2017

Endurance of Quantum Coherence in Born-Markov Open Quantum Systems

Quantum coherence, the physical property underlying fundamental phenomena such as multi-particle interference and entanglement, has emerged as a valuable resource upon which exotic modern technologies are founded. In general, the most prominent adversary of quantum coherence is noise arising from the interaction of the associated dynamical system with its environment. Under certain conditions, however, the existence of noise may drive quantum and classical systems to endure intriguing nontrivial effects. Along these lines, here we demonstrate, both theoretically and experimentally, that when two indistinguishable particles co-propagate through quantum networks affected by noise, the system always evolves into a steady state in which coherences between certain separable states perpetually prevail. Furthermore, we show that the same steady state with surviving quantum coherences is reached irrespectively of the configuration in which the particles are prepared.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2016

Universal sign-control of coupling in tight-binding lattices

We present a method of locally inverting the sign of the coupling term in tight-binding systems, by means of inserting a judiciously designed ancillary site and eigenmode matching of the resulting vertex triplet. Our technique can be universally applied to all lattice configurations, as long as the individual sites can be detuned. We experimentally verify this method in laser-written photonic lattices and confirm both the magnitude and the sign of the coupling by interferometric measurements. Based on these findings, we demonstrate how such universal sign-flipped coupling links can be embedded into extended lattice structures to impose a $\mathbb{Z}_2$-gauge transformation. This opens a new avenue for investigations on topological effects arising from magnetic fields with aperiodic flux patterns or in disordered systems.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2016

Single mode lasing in transversely multi-moded PT-symmetric microring resonators

Single mode lasing is experimentally demonstrated in a transversely multi-moded InP-based semiconductor microring arrangement. In this system, mode discrimination is attained by judiciously utilizing the exceptional points in a parity-time (PT) symmetric double microring configuration. The proposed scheme is versatile, robust to small fabrication errors, and enables the device to operate in a stable manner considerably above threshold while maintaining spatial and spectral purity. The results presented here pave the way towards a new class of chip-scale semiconductor lasers that utilize gain/loss contrast as a primary mechanism for mode selection.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2015

Demonstration of local teleportation using classical entanglement

Teleportation is the most widely discussed application of the basic principles of quantum mechanics. Fundamentally, this process describes the transmission of information, which involves transport of neither matter nor energy. The implicit assumption, however, is that this scheme is of inherently nonlocal nature, and therefore exclusive to quantum systems. Here, we show that the concept can be readily generalized beyond the quantum realm. We present an optical implementation of the teleportation protocol solely based on classical entanglement between spatial and modal degrees of freedom, entirely independent of nonlocality. Our findings could enable novel methods for distributing information between different transmission channels and may provide the means to leverage the advantages of both quantum and classical systems to create a robust hybrid communication infrastructure.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2015

Divide-and-Conquer: An integrated photon-counting scheme

The key requirement for harnessing the quantum properties of light is the capability to detect and count individual photons. Of particular interest are photon-number-resolving detectors, which allow one to determine whether a state of light is classical or genuinely quantum. Existing schemes for addressing this challenge rely on a proportional conversion of photons to electrons. As such, they are capable of correctly characterizing small photon fluxes, yet are limited by uncertainties in the conversion rate. In this work, we employ a divide-and-conquer approach to overcome these limitations by transforming the incident fields into uniform distributions that readily lend themselves for characterization by standard on-off detectors. Since the exact statistics of the light stream are obtained from the click statistics, our technique is freely scalable to accommodate - in principle - arbitrarily large photon fluxes. Our experiments pave the way towards genuine integrated photon-number-resolving detectors for advanced on-chip photonic quantum networks.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2014

Observation of supersymmetric scattering in photonic lattices

Supersymmetric (SUSY) optical structures display a number of intriguing properties that can lead to a variety of potential applications, ranging from perfect global phase matching to highly efficient mode conversion and novel multiplexing schemes. Here, we experimentally investigate the scattering characteristics of supersymmetric photonic lattices. We directly observe the light dynamics in such systems and compare the reflection/transmission properties of SUSY partner structures. In doing so, we demonstrate that discrete settings constitute a promising testbed for studying the different facets of optical supersymmetry.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2014

SUSY-inspired one-dimensional transformation optics

Transformation optics aims to identify artificial materials and structures with desired electromagnetic properties by means of pertinent coordinate transformations. In general, such schemes are meant to appropriately tailor the constitutive parameters of metamaterials in order to control the trajectory of light in two and three dimensions. Here we introduce a new class of one-dimensional optical transformations that exploits the mathematical framework of supersymmetry (SUSY). This systematic approach can be utilized to synthesize photonic configurations with identical reflection and transmission characteristics, down to the phase, for all incident angles, thus rendering them perfectly indistinguishable to an external observer. Along these lines, low-contrast dielectric arrangements can be designed to fully mimic the behavior of a given high-contrast structure that would have been otherwise beyond the reach of available materials and existing fabrication techniques. Similar strategies can also be adopted to replace negative-permittivity domains, thus averting unwanted optical losses.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2014

PT-symmetric microring lasers: Self-adapting broadband mode-selective resonators

We demonstrate experimentally that stable single longitudinal mode operation can be readily achieved in PT-symmetric arrangements of coupled microring resonators. Whereas any active resonator is in principle capable of displaying single-wavelength operation, selective breaking of PT-symmetry can be utilized to systematically enhance the maximum achievable gain of this mode, even if a large number of competing longitudinal or transverse resonator modes fall within the amplification bandwidth of the inhomogeneously broadened active medium. This concept is robust with respect to fabrication tolerances, and its mode selectivity is established without the need for additional components or specifically designed filters. Our results may pave the way for a new generation of versatile cavities lasing at a desired longitudinal resonance. Along these lines, traditionally highly multi-moded microring resonator configurations can be fashioned to suppress all but one longitudinal mode.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2014

Supersymmetric mode converters

Originally developed in the context of quantum field theory, the concept of supersymmetry (SUSY) can be used to systematically design a new class of optical structures. In this work, we demonstrate how key features arising from optical supersymmetry can be exploited to control the flow of light for mode division multiplexing applications. Superpartner configurations are experimentally realized in coupled optical networks, and the corresponding light dynamics in such systems are directly observed. We show that SUSY can be judiciously utilized to remove the fundamental mode of a multimode optical structure, while establishing global phase matching conditions for the remaining set of modes. Along these lines, supersymmetry may serve as a promising platform for a new generation of versatile optical components with novel properties and functionalities.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2013

Engineered optical nonlinearities and enhanced light transmission in soft-matter systems with tunable polarizabilities

In this work, we demonstrate that the nonlinear response of certain soft-matter systems can be tailored at will by appropriately engineering their optical polarizability. In particular, we deliberately synthesize stable colloidal suspensions with negative polarizabilities, and observe for the first time robust propagation and enhanced transmission of self-trapped light over long distances that would have been otherwise impossible in conventional suspensions with positive polarizabilities. What greatly facilitates this behavior is an induced saturable nonlinear optical response introduced by the thermodynamic properties of these colloidal systems. This in turn leads to a substantial reduction in scattering via self-activated transparency effects. Our results may open up new opportunities in developing soft-matter systems with tunable optical nonlinearities.

cond-mat.soft↗
arXiv2013

Quantum walks of correlated photon pairs in two-dimensional waveguide arrays

We demonstrate quantum walks of correlated photons in a 2D network of directly laser written waveguides coupled in a 'swiss cross' arrangement. The correlated detection events show high-visibility quantum interference and unique composite behaviour: strong correlation and independence of the quantum walkers, between and within the planes of the cross. Violations of a classically defined inequality, for photons injected in the same plane and in orthogonal planes, reveal non-classical behaviour in a non-planar structure.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2013

Supersymmetry-generated complex optical potentials with real spectra

We show that the formalism of supersymmetry (SUSY), when applied to parity-time (PT) symmetric optical potentials, can give rise to novel refractive index landscapes with altogether non-trivial properties. In particular, we find that the presence of gain and loss allows for arbitrarily removing bound states from the spectrum of a structure. This is in stark contrast to the Hermitian case, where the SUSY formalism can only address the fundamental mode of a potential. Subsequently we investigate isospectral families of complex potentials that exhibit entirely real spectra, despite the fact that their shapes violate PT-symmetry. Finally, the role of SUSY transformations in the regime of spontaneously broken PT symmetry is investigated.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2013

Supersymmetric Optical Structures

We show that supersymmetry can provide a versatile platform in synthesizing a new class of optical structures with desired properties and functionalities. By exploiting the intimate relationship between superpatners, one can systematically construct index potentials capable of exhibiting the same scattering and guided wave characteristics. In particular, in the Helmholtz regime, we demonstrate that one-dimensional supersymmetric pairs display identical reflectivities and transmittivities for any angle of incidence. Optical SUSY is then extended to two-dimensional systems where a link between specific azimuthal mode subsets is established. Finally we explore supersymmetric photonic lattices where discreteness can be utilized to design lossless integrated mode filtering arrangements.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2012

Observation of novel edge states in photonic graphene

The intriguing properties of graphene, a two-dimensional material composed of a honeycomb lattice of carbon atoms, have attracted a great deal of interest in recent years. Specifically, the fact that electrons in graphene behave as massless relativistic particles gives rise to unconventional phenomena such as Klein tunneling, the anomalous quantum Hall effect, and strain-induced pseudo-magnetic fields. Graphene edge states play a crucial role in the understanding and use of these electronic properties. However, the coarse or impure nature of the edges hampers the ability to directly probe the edge states and their band structure. Perhaps the best example is the edge states on the bearded edge (also called the Klein edge) that have thus far never been observed - because such an edge is unstable in graphene. Here, we use the optical equivalent of graphene - a photonic honeycomb lattice - to experimentally and theoretically study edge states and their properties. We directly image the edge states on both the zig-zag and bearded edges of this photonic graphene, measure their dispersion properties, and most importantly, find a new type of edge state: one residing on the bearded edge which was unknown and cannot be explained through conventional tight-binding theory. Such a new edge state lies near the van-Hove singularity in the edge band structure and can be classified as a Tamm state lacking any surface defect. Our photonic system offers the opportunity to probe new graphene-related phenomena that are difficult or impossible to access in conventional carbon-based graphene. Edge states in graphene-type structures play the central role in achieving photonic topological insulation, in which light can propagate along the edges of photonic structures without any parasitic scattering whatsoever.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2012

Biphoton generation in quadratic waveguide arrays: A classical optical simulation

Quantum entanglement, the non-separability of a multipartite wave function, became essential in understanding the non-locality of quantum mechanics. In optics, this non-locality can be demonstrated on impressively large length scales, as photons travel with the speed of light and interact only weakly with their environment. With the discovery of spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) in nonlinear crystals, an efficient source for entangled photon pairs, so-called biphotons, became available. It has recently been shown that SPDC can also be implemented in nonlinear arrays of evanescently coupled waveguides which allows the generation and the investigation of correlated quantum walks of such biphotons in an integrated device. Here, we analytically and experimentally demonstrate that the biphoton degrees of freedom are entailed in an additional spatial dimension, therefore the SPDC and the subsequent quantum random walk in one-dimensional (1D) arrays can be simulated through classical optical beam propagation in a two-dimensional (2D) photonic lattice. Thereby, the output intensity images directly represent the biphoton correlations and exhibit a clear violation of a Bell-type inequality.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2011

Classical analogue of displaced Fock states and quantum correlations in Glauber-Fock photonic lattices

Coherent states and their generalisations, displaced Fock states, are of fundamental importance to quantum optics. Here we present a direct observation of a classical analogue for the emergence of these states from the eigenstates of the harmonic oscillator. To this end, the light propagation in a Glauber-Fock waveguide lattice serves as equivalent for the displacement of Fock states in phase space. Theoretical calculations and analogue classical experiments show that the square-root distribution of the coupling parameter in such lattices supports a new family of intriguing quantum correlations not encountered in uniform arrays. Due to the broken shift-invariance of the lattice, these correlations strongly depend on the transverse position. Consequently, quantum random walks with this extra degree of freedom may be realised in Glauber-Fock lattices.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2010

Amorphous Photonic Lattices: Band Gaps, Effective Mass and Suppressed Transport

We present, theoretically and experimentally, amorphous photonic lattices exhibiting a band-gap yet completely lacking Bragg diffraction: 2D waveguides distributed randomly according to a liquid-like model responsible for the absence of Bragg peaks as opposed to ordered lattices containing disorder, which always exhibit Bragg peaks. In amorphous lattices the bands are comprised of localized states, but we find that defect states residing in the gap are more localized than the Anderson localization length. Finally, we show how the concept of effective mass carries over to amorphous lattices.

physics.optics↗