All-optical modulation with single-photons using electron avalanche

Fuente: arXiv
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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sychev, Demid V., Chen, Peigang, Chen, Yuheng, Yang, Morris, Fruhling, Colton, Lagutchev, Alexei, Kildishev, Alexander V., Boltasseva, Alexandra, Shalaev, Vladimir M.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
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author Sychev, Demid V.
Chen, Peigang
Chen, Yuheng
Yang, Morris
Fruhling, Colton
Lagutchev, Alexei
Kildishev, Alexander V.
Boltasseva, Alexandra
Shalaev, Vladimir M.
author_facet Sychev, Demid V.
Chen, Peigang
Chen, Yuheng
Yang, Morris
Fruhling, Colton
Lagutchev, Alexei
Kildishev, Alexander V.
Boltasseva, Alexandra
Shalaev, Vladimir M.
contents The distinctive characteristics of light, such as high-speed and low-loss propagation, low cross-talk and low power consumption, along with photons unique quantum properties, make it most suitable for various applications in communication, high-resolution imaging, optical computing, and emerging quantum information technologies. One limiting factor, though, is the weak optical nonlinearity of conventional media that poses challenges for the control of light with ultra-low intensities. In this work, we demonstrate all-optical modulation enabled by electron avalanche process in silicon, using a control beam with single-photon light intensities. The observed process corresponds to a record-high nonlinear refractive index of $n_{2}$~$1.3*10^{-2} m^2/W$, which is several orders of magnitude higher than the best known nonlinear optical materials. Our approach opens the possibility of gigahertz-speed, and potentially even faster, optical switching at the single-photon level, which could enable a family of novel on-chip photonic and quantum devices operating at room temperature.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2312_11686
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle All-optical modulation with single-photons using electron avalanche
Sychev, Demid V.
Chen, Peigang
Chen, Yuheng
Yang, Morris
Fruhling, Colton
Lagutchev, Alexei
Kildishev, Alexander V.
Boltasseva, Alexandra
Shalaev, Vladimir M.
Optics
Applied Physics
Quantum Physics
The distinctive characteristics of light, such as high-speed and low-loss propagation, low cross-talk and low power consumption, along with photons unique quantum properties, make it most suitable for various applications in communication, high-resolution imaging, optical computing, and emerging quantum information technologies. One limiting factor, though, is the weak optical nonlinearity of conventional media that poses challenges for the control of light with ultra-low intensities. In this work, we demonstrate all-optical modulation enabled by electron avalanche process in silicon, using a control beam with single-photon light intensities. The observed process corresponds to a record-high nonlinear refractive index of $n_{2}$~$1.3*10^{-2} m^2/W$, which is several orders of magnitude higher than the best known nonlinear optical materials. Our approach opens the possibility of gigahertz-speed, and potentially even faster, optical switching at the single-photon level, which could enable a family of novel on-chip photonic and quantum devices operating at room temperature.
title All-optical modulation with single-photons using electron avalanche
topic Optics
Applied Physics
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.11686