arXiv subjects

Vincenzo Bruno

Publications and source records attributed to Vincenzo Bruno.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Floquet Engineering of Quantum Transport through two Driven Impurities

Floquet engineering offers powerful tools to manipulate quantum states by periodically driving physical parameters. In this work, we investigate the quantum transport through two periodically driven impurities in a mesoscopic one-dimensional channel. By mapping the time-dependent Hamiltonian into an effective multichannel scattering problem, we unveil a rich landscape of transport phenomena arising from the interplay between Fabry-Perot cavity modes and Fano interference. We demonstrate that the inter-impurity distance acts as a critical control parameter, allowing for the formation of Bound States in the Continuum (BICs). Furthermore, we identify Quasi-BICs, extremely narrow resonances with finite lifetimes, that can be dynamically tuned by the drive amplitude. We show that these states enable a robust coherent trapping mechanism, allowing the system to switch from perfect transparency or reflection to strong localization with giant Wigner time delays. Our results suggest possible applications for tunable delay lines and quantum memories, with feasible experimental realizations in the context of cold atoms.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2020

Adiabatic frequency shifting in epsilon near zero materials: The role of group velocity

We investigate adiabatic frequency conversion using epsilon near zero (ENZ) materials and show that while the maximum frequency conversion for a given change of permittivity does not exhibit increase in the vicinity of ε=0 condition. However, that change can be achieved in a shorter length, and if the pump is also in the ENZ vicinity, at a lower pump intensity. This slow propagation effect makes the conversion efficiency in the ENZ material comparable to that in microresonators and other structured slow light schemes, but unlike the latter no nanofabrication is required for ENZ materials which constitutes their major advantage over alternative frequency conversion approaches.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2019

Broad frequency shift of parametric processes in Epsilon-Near-Zero time-varying media

The ultrafast changes of material properties induced by short laser pulses can lead to frequency shift of reflected and transmitted radiation. Recent reports highlight how such a frequency shift is enhanced in the spectral regions where the material features a near-zero real part of the permittivity. Here we investigate the frequency shift for fields generated by four-wave mixing with a nonlinear polarisation oscillating at twice the pump frequency. In our experiment we observe a frequency shift of more than 60 nm (compared to the pulse width of ~40 nm) for the phase conjugated radiation generated by a 500 nm Aluminium-doped Zinc Oxide (AZO) film pumped close to the epsilon-near-zero wavelength. Our results indicate applications of time-varying media for nonlinear optics and frequency conversion.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2017

Optical time reversal from time-dependent Epsilon-Near-Zero media

Materials with a spatially uniform but temporally varying optical response have applications ranging from magnetic field-free optical isolators to fundamental studies of quantum field theories. However, these effects typically become relevant only for time-variations oscillating at optical frequencies, thus presenting a significant hurdle that severely limits the realisation of such conditions. Here we present a thin-film material with a permittivity that pulsates (uniformly in space) at optical frequencies and realises a time-reversing medium of the form originally proposed by Pendry [Science 322, 71 (2008)]. We use an optically pumped, 500 nm thick film of epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) material based on Al-doped zinc oxide (AZO). An incident probe beam is both negatively refracted and time-reversed through a reflected phase-conjugated beam. As a result of the high nonlinearity and the refractive index that is close to zero, the ENZ film leads to time reversed beams (simultaneous negative refraction and phase conjugation) with near-unit efficiency and greater-than-unit internal conversion efficiency. The ENZ platform therefore presents the time-reversal features required e.g. for efficient subwavelength imaging, all-optical isolators and fundamental quantum field theory studies.

physics.optics↗