Disorder and dephasing as control knobs for light transport in optical fiber cavity networks

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Energy Science

Background:

• Transport phenomena are crucial in diverse scientific fields, including physics, chemistry, and biology.
• Controllable experimental setups are needed to emulate and optimize energy transmission, such as in light harvesting processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally build a scalable and controllable transport emulator using optical fiber cavity networks.
• To investigate the role of noise parameters in optimizing transport efficiency and path control.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a scalable optical fiber cavity network.
• Fine-tuning of system noise parameters, specifically disorder and dephasing.
• Experimental demonstration of noise-induced interference for optimizing transport paths.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a controllable transport emulator with tunable noise parameters.
• Showcased that disorder and dephasing noise act as control knobs to optimize transport efficiency.
• Achieved constructive and destructive interference to guide transport towards an exit site.

Conclusions:

• Optical fiber networks provide a versatile platform for emulating complex transport phenomena.
• Noise engineering in these systems can significantly enhance energy transfer efficiency.
• This approach offers a promising route for designing artificial nanoscale structures for efficient clean energy technologies.