Thermodynamic theory of highly multimoded nonlinear optical systems

Abstract

The quest for ever higher information capacities has brought about a renaissance in multimode optical waveguide systems. This resurgence of interest has recently initiated a flurry of activities in nonlinear multimode fiber optics. The sheer complexity emerging from the presence of a multitude of nonlinearly interacting modes has led not only to new opportunities in observing a host of novel optical effects that are otherwise impossible in single-mode settings, but also to new theoretical challenges in understanding their collective dynamics. In this Article, we present a consistent thermodynamical framework capable of describing in a universal fashion the exceedingly intricate behavior of such nonlinear highly multimoded photonic configurations at thermal equilibrium. By introducing pertinent extensive variables, we derive new equations of state and show that both the 'internal energy' and optical power in many-mode arrangements always flow in such a way so as to satisfy the second law of thermodynamics. The laws governing isentropic processes are derived and the prospect for realizing Carnot-like cycles is also presented. In addition to shedding light on fundamental issues, our work may pave the way towards a new generation of high power multimode optical structures and could have ramifications in other many-state nonlinear systems, ranging from Bose-Einstein condensates to optomechanics.

References in corpus (5)

• Thermalization and its mechanism for generic isolated quantum systems
• Bose-Einstein condensation of photons in an optical microcavity
• Negative Absolute Temperature for Motional Degrees of Freedom
• Dramatic acceleration of wave condensation mediated by disorder in multimode fibers
• Thermalization of Strongly Disordered Nonlinear Chains

Cited by in corpus (7)

• Interplay of thermalization and strong disorder: Wave turbulence theory, numerical simulations, and experiments in multimode optical fibers
• Thermalization of light's orbital angular momentum in nonlinear multimode waveguide systems
• Wave condensation with weak disorder versus beam self-cleaning in multimode fibers
• Controlling Optical Beam Thermalization via Band-Gap Engineering
• Entropic thermodynamics of nonlinear photonic chain networks
• Modal dynamics in multimode optical fibers: An attractor of high-order modes
• A thermodynamic description of the near- and far-field intensity patterns emerging from multimode nonlinear waveguide arrays