Non-Abelian Electric Field and Zitterbewegung on a Photonic Frequency Chain
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arXiv
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2025
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| _version_ | 1866914032519217152 |
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| author | Yang, Shu Wong, Bengy Tsz Tsun Yang, Yi |
| author_facet | Yang, Shu Wong, Bengy Tsz Tsun Yang, Yi |
| contents | The synthetic frequency dimension, which realizes fictitious spatial dimensions from the spectral degree of freedom, has emerged as a promising platform for engineering artificial gauge fields in studying quantum simulations and topological physics with photons. A current central task for frequency-domain photons is the creation and manipulation of nontrivial non-Abelian field strength tensors and observing their governing dynamics. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a miniaturized scheme for creating non-Abelian electric fields in a photonic frequency chain using a polarization-multiplexed, time-modulated ring resonator. By engineering spin-orbit coupling via modulation dephasing, polarization rotation, and polarization retardation, we achieve programmable control over synthetic Floquet bands and their quasimomentum spin-resolved textures. Leveraging self-heterodyne coherent detection, we demonstrate Zitterbewegung -- a trembling motion of photons -- induced by non-Abelian electric fields on the frequency chain. We further observe the interference between Zitterbewegung and Bloch oscillations arising from the coexistence of non-Abelian and Abelian electric fields. Our work bridges synthetic dimensions with non-Abelian gauge theory for versatile photonic emulation of relativistic quantum mechanics and spinor dynamics, and can be instrumental in applications like frequency-domain optical computation and multimodal frequency comb control. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_09304 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Non-Abelian Electric Field and Zitterbewegung on a Photonic Frequency Chain Yang, Shu Wong, Bengy Tsz Tsun Yang, Yi Optics Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics Quantum Gases Atomic Physics The synthetic frequency dimension, which realizes fictitious spatial dimensions from the spectral degree of freedom, has emerged as a promising platform for engineering artificial gauge fields in studying quantum simulations and topological physics with photons. A current central task for frequency-domain photons is the creation and manipulation of nontrivial non-Abelian field strength tensors and observing their governing dynamics. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a miniaturized scheme for creating non-Abelian electric fields in a photonic frequency chain using a polarization-multiplexed, time-modulated ring resonator. By engineering spin-orbit coupling via modulation dephasing, polarization rotation, and polarization retardation, we achieve programmable control over synthetic Floquet bands and their quasimomentum spin-resolved textures. Leveraging self-heterodyne coherent detection, we demonstrate Zitterbewegung -- a trembling motion of photons -- induced by non-Abelian electric fields on the frequency chain. We further observe the interference between Zitterbewegung and Bloch oscillations arising from the coexistence of non-Abelian and Abelian electric fields. Our work bridges synthetic dimensions with non-Abelian gauge theory for versatile photonic emulation of relativistic quantum mechanics and spinor dynamics, and can be instrumental in applications like frequency-domain optical computation and multimodal frequency comb control. |
| title | Non-Abelian Electric Field and Zitterbewegung on a Photonic Frequency Chain |
| topic | Optics Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics Quantum Gases Atomic Physics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.09304 |