High-order optical nonlinearity at low light levels

Abstract

We observe a nonlinear optical process in a gas of cold atoms that simultaneously displays the largest reported fifth-order nonlinear susceptibility χ^(5) = 1.9x10^{-12} (m/V)^4 and high transparency. The nonlinearity results from the simultaneous cooling and crystallization of the gas, and gives rise to efficient Bragg scattering in the form of six-wave-mixing at low-light-levels. For large atom-photon coupling strengths, the back-action of the scattered fields influences the light-matter dynamics. This system may have important applications in many-body physics, quantum information processing, and multidimensional soliton formation.

5 pages, 3 figures

References in corpus (5)

• The Quantum Internet
• Atom-light crystallization of BECs in multimode cavities: Nonequilibrium classical and quantum phase transitions, emergent lattices, supersolidity, and frustration
• Photonic Band Gaps in One-Dimensionally Ordered Cold Atomic Vapors
• Three-Way Entanglement and Three-Qubit Phase Gate Based on a Coherent Six-Level Atomic System
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• Transverse optical and atomic pattern formation
• Bimodal momentum distribution of laser-cooled atoms in optical lattices