Quantum interference control of perfect photon absorption in a three-level atom-cavity system.

Miaodi Guo

doi:10.1364/oe.433257

Abstract

We propose a scheme for controlling coherent photon absorption by electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a three-level atom-cavity system. Coherent perfect absorption (CPA) occurs when time-reversed symmetry of lasing process is obtained with the destructive interference at the cavity interfaces. The frequency range of CPA is generally dependent on the decay rates of the cavity mirrors. The smaller decay rate of the cavity mirror causes the wider frequency range of CPA, and the needed intensity of the probe fields is larger to satisfy CPA condition for a given frequency. Although Rabi frequency of the control laser has little effect on the frequency range of CPA, with EIT-type quantum interference, the CPA mode is tunable by the control laser. In addition, with the relative phase, the probe fields can be perfectly transmitted and/or reflected. Therefore, the system can be used as a controllable coherent perfect absorber or transmitter (reflector), and our work may have practical applications in optical logic devices.

Highlights

The ability to control optical absorption especially to realize extreme absorption is crucial for the development of photonic devices [1,2,3] and optical quantum information processing, e.g., quantum communication and quantum computation [4, 5]
Together with the quartic equation of |αin|2 and ∆p, it accounts for the phenomenon shown in Fig. 2, where four-frequency coherent perfect absorption (CPA) occurs at a specific input intensity in the three-level cavity-Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) system rather than the dual-frequency
The decay rates of the cavity mirrors can be as small as possible to widen the frequency range of CPA

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The ability to control optical absorption especially to realize extreme absorption is crucial for the development of photonic devices [1,2,3] and optical quantum information processing, e.g., quantum communication and quantum computation [4, 5]. In a two-level atom-cavity system [20], dual-frequency CPA modes at ∆p = ±4.5Γ are obtained for a given input intensity |ain|2 ≈ 55 (∆p is the frequency detuning of probe field, and Γ is the decay rate of atomic exucited level). The interaction of input fields and atoms can be manipulated by the control laser. With the EIT-type quantum interference by control laser, CPA mode does not occur at resonant frequency of the probe field, instead, four CPA modes occur at non-resonant frequencies for a given input intensity of probe field. At a given frequency of probe field, CPA is transferred into coherent non-perfect absorption (CNPA) by control laser, and vise versa.

THEORETICAL MODEL AND ANALYSIS

NUMERICAL RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

CONCLUSION