Synthetic-lattice enabled all-optical devices based on orbital angular momentum of light

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 8; no. 1; p. 16097
• Main Authors: Luo, Xi-Wang, Zhou, Xingxiang, Xu, Jin-Shi, Li, Chuan-Feng, Guo, Guang-Can, Zhang, Chuanwei, Zhou, Zheng-Wei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 14.07.2017; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 132/124; 140/125; 639/624/399; 639/624/400/482; Angular momentum; Cavities; Crystals; Data processing; Design; Engineering; Filters; Humanities and Social Sciences; Information processing; Interference; Memory devices; multidisciplinary; Optical communication; Optical components; Optical filters; Optical lattices; Optical memory (data storage); Paving; Photonic crystals; Propagation; Quantum phenomena; Quantum theory; Science; Science (multidisciplinary)
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms16097

All-optical photonic devices are crucial for many important photonic technologies and applications, ranging from optical communication to quantum information processing. Conventional design of all-optical devices is based on photon propagation and interference in real space, which may rely on large numbers of optical elements, and the requirement of precise control makes this approach challenging. Here we propose an unconventional route for engineering all-optical devices using the photon’s internal degrees of freedom, which form photonic crystals in such synthetic dimensions for photon propagation and interference. We demonstrate this design concept by showing how important optical devices such as quantum memory and optical filters can be realized using synthetic orbital angular momentum (OAM) lattices in degenerate cavities. The design route utilizing synthetic photonic lattices may significantly reduce the requirement for numerous optical elements and their fine tuning in conventional design, paving the way for realistic all-optical photonic devices with novel functionalities. Design of all-optical devices rely on large numbers of optical elements and precise control makes this approach challenging. The authors demonstrate that optical devices such as quantum memory and optical filters can be realized using synthetic orbital angular momentum lattices in a single main degenerate cavity.