<p>Mediated by the interactions with quantum vacuum fields, a probe laser field propagating in a nonlinear optical medium can generate new pair of light fields over a broad spectral range via spontaneous parametric process. Such process is inherently independent of the incident direction of light and reciprocal thus far, due to the direction-independent field-vacuum interactions. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate within sodium atomic vapors that such spontaneous parametric process can be nonreciprocal by unidirectionally coupling it to another pumped 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 isolation ratio &gt;25 dB over a bandwidth larger than 100 GHz. Considering that both spontaneous parametric processes and the pumped four-wave mixing have been realized in diverse solid photonic platforms, the demonstrated concept can motivate further explorations in the design of integrated magnetic-free broadband optical nonreciprocity via the interactions between nonlinear optical processes.</p>

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Nonreciprocal spontaneous parametric process

  • Changbiao Li,
  • Jiaqi Yuan,
  • Ruidong He,
  • Jiawei Yu,
  • Yanpeng Zhang,
  • Min Xiao,
  • Keyu Xia,
  • Zhaoyang Zhang

摘要

Mediated by the interactions with quantum vacuum fields, a probe laser field propagating in a nonlinear optical medium can generate new pair of light fields over a broad spectral range via spontaneous parametric process. Such process is inherently independent of the incident direction of light and reciprocal thus far, due to the direction-independent field-vacuum interactions. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate within sodium atomic vapors that such spontaneous parametric process can be nonreciprocal by unidirectionally coupling it to another pumped 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 isolation ratio >25 dB over a bandwidth larger than 100 GHz. Considering that both spontaneous parametric processes and the pumped four-wave mixing have been realized in diverse solid photonic platforms, the demonstrated concept can motivate further explorations in the design of integrated magnetic-free broadband optical nonreciprocity via the interactions between nonlinear optical processes.