Amplified Nonreciprocal Reflection in a Uniform Atomic Medium with the Help of Spontaneous Emissions

• Published in: Photonics Vol. 11; no. 4; p. 389
• Main Authors: Lin, Xinyu, Zheng, Xinfu, Geng, Yue, Li, Guanrong, Xu, Qiongyi, Wu, Jinhui, Yan, Dong, Yang, Hong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.04.2024
• Subjects: Amplification; Asymmetry; Closed loops; Design; Emissions; Mathematical models; nonreciprocal reflection amplification; Reflection; spontaneous emission; Symmetry; symmetry breaking
• ISSN: 2304-6732; 2304-6732
• DOI: 10.3390/photonics11040389

It is important to elaborate on versatile strategies for achieving the perfect nonreciprocal reflection amplification, which is the key technology of high-quality nonreciprocal photonic devices. In this work, we ingeniously design a coherent four-level N-type atomic system to harness the nonreciprocal light amplification, in which the uniform distribution of atoms is driven by two strong coupling fields and a weak probe field. In our regime, the strength of the two control fields is designed with linear variation along the x direction to destroy the spatial symmetry of the probe susceptibility, leading to the nonreciprocity of the reflection. In particular, the closed-loop transitions to amplify the probe field are due to the combined effect of the control fields and spontaneous emissions. The numerical simulation indicates that the perfect nonreciprocal reflection amplification can be realized and modulated by the appropriate settings of the control fields and the detuning, Δc. Our results will open a new route toward harnessing nonreciprocity, which can provide more convenience and possibilities in experimental realization.