Search arXivSearch

arXiv · 2002.08591

Multidimensional synthetic chiral-tube lattices via nonlinear frequency conversion

Abstract

Geometrical dimensionality plays a fundamentally important role in the topological effects arising in discrete lattices. While direct experiments are limited by three spatial dimensions, the research topic of synthetic dimensions implemented by the frequency degree of freedom in photonics is rapidly advancing. The manipulation of light in such artificial lattices is typically realized through electro-optic modulation, yet their operating bandwidth imposes practical constraints on the range of interactions between different frequency components. Here we propose and experimentally realize all-optical synthetic dimensions involving specially tailored simultaneous short- and long-range interactions between discrete spectral lines mediated by frequency conversion in a nonlinear waveguide. We realize triangular chiral-tube lattices in three-dimensional space and explore their four-dimensional generalization. We implement a synthetic gauge field with nonzero magnetic flux and observe the associated multidimensional dynamics of frequency combs, all within one physical spatial port. We anticipate that our method will provide a new means for the fundamental study of high-dimensional physics and act as an important step towards using topological effects in optical devices operating in the time and frequency domains.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Kai Wang, Bryn Bell, Alexander S. Solntsev, Dragomir N. Neshev, Benjamin J. Eggleton, Andrey A. Sukhorukov. 2020-02-25. Multidimensional synthetic chiral-tube lattices via nonlinear frequency conversion. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-020-0299-7

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

Active Fourier Spectroscopy: From fixed sampling protocols to adaptive measurement

Fourier-transform spectroscopy (FTS) is based on the Nyquist-Shannon theorem, which dictates a strict sampling protocol for the measurement of continuous signals. Here we introduce Active Fourier Spectroscopy (AFS), a generalization of FTS in which measurements are still taken in the Fourier-conjugate delay domain, but where the most informative acquisition points are selected adaptively and the spectrum is reconstructed by sequential, uncertainty-aware inference rather than by fixed-grid Fourier inversion. Our approach relies on a theoretical insight that the Nyquist condition applies only under complete ignorance about the system under investigation, and shows how to systematically improve upon it when prior knowledge exists. Because AFS recovers conventional FTS whenever the prior is uninformative, its performance never falls below that of conventional sampling. We demonstrate AFS for optical spectroscopy in three settings vital to research and medicine: clinical FTIR-based blood plasma analysis, optical metrology of structured laser beams, and hyperspectral imaging with an RGB camera. In each case AFS reaches a higher target reconstruction quality from far fewer acquisitions and provides complete uncertainty quantification in real time, propagated rigorously through downstream analysis.

physics.optics

Memory in Integrated Photonic Neural Networks: From Physical Mechanisms to Neuromorphic Architectures

The rapid scaling of artificial neural networks has exposed fundamental limitations of conventional von Neumann computing architectures. In these systems, the physical separation between memory and processing creates a bottleneck, as computational capabilities outpace the ability of memory and interconnects to supply and retrieve data. In contrast, biological neural systems inherently co-localize computation and memory through distributed, dynamical processes. Neuromorphic computing seeks to emulate this paradigm by leveraging physical substrates whose intrinsic dynamics simultaneously encode and process information. Among emerging platforms, silicon photoncis offer a compelling approach due to its high bandwidth, low-loss propagation, and inherent parallelism. This review examines the role of memory in integrated photonic neuromorphic systems, with emphasis on the physical mechanisms that provide volatile (short-term) and non-volatile (long-term) memory in silicon-on-insulator and hybrid silicon-on-insulator platforms. Drawing inspiration from digital, biological, and photonic memory architectures, we classify existing approaches based on their underlying physical principles. We cover implementations ranging from delay lines and slow-light structures to multistable dynamics and structural memory based on charge trapping and phase-change materials. We then discuss how these mechanisms support photonic neural network architectures, including feed-forward, reservoir computing, spiking and hybrid optoelectronic recurrent systems, and assess their relevance for time-dependent singal-processing tasks such as channel equalization in telecommunications. This review aims to establish a unified framework for understanding memory and learning in neuromorphic photonics and outlines key challenges and opportunities for scalable, energy-efficient neuromorphic hardware.

physics.optics

Exoplanet Detection Using Adaptive Quantum-Optimal Measurement

Detecting terrestrial exoplanets in the habitable zones of nearby stars remains a critical challenge. Such planets can be \(10^8\) to \(10^{10}\) times fainter than their host stars and lie at diffraction-limited angular separations, where starlight strongly obscures the companion signal. Here we present an adaptive quantum measurement method for estimating the number, positions, and brightnesses of mutually incoherent point sources in the sub-Rayleigh, ultra-high-contrast regime, operating at contrasts down to \(10^{-8}\) -- five orders of magnitude beyond previous quantum imaging approaches to exoplanet detection. The method adopts a spatial-mode basis that is updated to maximize the quantum Fisher information per detected photon. Estimation is performed by maximum likelihood in log-brightness coordinates, and the source count is determined by Bayesian-information-criterion (BIC) model selection directly from photon-count statistics, without a tunable detection threshold. For point sources within sub-Rayleigh separations and with brightness ratios spanning eight orders of magnitude, the method reconstructs complete scenes with a mean success rate of \(72.5\%\). Furthermore, it is robust to misalignment, maintaining a \(71.3\%\) success rate under offsets of up to six pixels. These results demonstrate that terrestrial exoplanets can be detected below the Rayleigh limit, a regime previously inaccessible to direct imaging.

physics.optics