Noiseless photonic non-reciprocity via optically-induced magnetization

Abstract

The realization of optical non-reciprocity is crucial for many device applications, and also of fundamental importance for manipulating and protecting the photons with desired time-reversal symmetry. Recently, various new mechanisms of magnetic-free non-reciprocity have been proposed and implemented, avoiding the limitation of the strong magnetic field imposed by the Faraday effect. However, due to the difficulties in suppressing the drive and its induced noises, these devices exhibit limited isolation performances and leave the quantum noise properties rarely studied. Here, we demonstrate a new approach of magnetic-free non-reciprocity by optically induced magnetization in an atom ensemble. Excellent isolation of signal (highest isolation ratio is 51.4 dB) is observed over a power dynamic range of 7 orders of magnitude, with the noiseless property verified by quantum statistics measurement. The approach is applicable to other atoms and atom-like emitters in solids, paving the way for future studies of integrated photonic non-reciprocal devices, unidirectional quantum storage and state transfer, as well as topological photonics technologies.

6 pages, 5 figures

References in corpus (8)

• Chiral Quantum Optics
• Non-Reciprocal Brillouin Scattering Induced Transparency
• Nonreciprocity and magnetic-free isolation based on optomechanical interactions
• Brillouin scattering induced transparency and non-reciprocal light storage
• Quantum optical circulator controlled by a single chirally coupled atom
• Evanescent light-matter Interactions in Atomic Cladding Wave Guides
• An Integrated Photonic Platform for Rare-Earth Ions in Thin Film Lithium Niobate
• Chiral light-matter interactions in hot vapor cladded waveguides

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• Self-induced optical non-reciprocity
• Vector optomechanical entanglement
• Dynamic Nonreciprocity with a Kerr Nonlinear Resonator
• Nonreciprocal Amplification Transition in a Driven-Dissipative Quantum Network
• Ultralow-power all-optical switching via a chiral Mach-Zehnder interferometer
• A passive bias-free ultrabroadband optical isolator based on unidirectional self-induced transparency
• Non-Hermitian unidirectional routing of photonic qubits
• Reversible optical isolators and quasi-circulators using a magneto-optical Fabry-Pérot cavity
• Single-photon transport in a whispering-gallery mode microresonator directionally coupled with a two-level quantum emitter