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

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Optical Engineering
• Quantum Information Science
• Materials Science

Background:

• All-optical photonic devices are essential for optical communication and quantum information processing.
• Conventional designs rely on real-space photon propagation, often requiring complex setups and precise control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate an unconventional method for engineering all-optical devices.
• To utilize the photon's internal degrees of freedom to create synthetic photonic lattices.

Main Methods:

• Engineering all-optical devices using synthetic dimensions based on photon's internal degrees of freedom.
• Creating photonic crystals in synthetic dimensions for photon propagation and interference.
• Demonstrating the concept using synthetic orbital angular momentum (OAM) lattices in degenerate cavities.

Main Results:

• Realization of key optical devices, such as quantum memory and optical filters, using synthetic OAM lattices.
• Significant reduction in the need for numerous optical elements and fine-tuning compared to conventional methods.
• Demonstration of novel functionalities in all-optical photonic devices.

Conclusions:

• The proposed synthetic photonic lattice approach offers a simplified and potentially more robust route for all-optical device design.
• This method paves the way for the realization of practical all-optical photonic devices with enhanced functionalities.
• The use of synthetic dimensions represents a significant advancement in photonic device engineering.