Simulating electrical fields in the orbital angular momentum space of light.

Area of Science:

• Quantum optics
• Solid-state physics simulation

Background:

• Coupled degenerate cavities are fundamental in quantum optics.
• Orbital angular momentum (OAM) influences optical mode phase shifts.
• Simulating quantum phenomena in optical systems is an active research area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the dynamics of coupled degenerate cavities with a switchable beam rotator.
• To establish an optical analog of a charged particle in a 1D lattice under electric fields.
• To explore Bloch oscillations and their application in quantum memory.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a switchable beam rotator exploiting OAM-dependent phase shifts.
• Modulating phase imbalance in an auxiliary cavity.
• Developing a non-intrusive measurement scheme for system dynamics.

Main Results:

• The system dynamics are shown to be equivalent to a charged particle in a 1D lattice with static and time-dependent electric fields.
• Bloch oscillations are observed due to the simulated electric fields.
• A practical measurement scheme for detecting system dynamics is presented.

Conclusions:

• The proposed optical system effectively simulates complex quantum phenomena like Bloch oscillations.
• This research offers a pathway for optical signal storage in quantum memory.
• The developed measurement technique is non-intrusive and technically feasible.