Efficient light transfer in coupled nonlinear triple waveguides using shortcuts to adiabaticity.

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Waveguide Technology
• Nonlinear Optics
• Quantum Control

Background:

• Directional couplers are essential for light manipulation in optical systems.
• Nonlinearity in waveguides can limit efficient light transfer and device performance.
• Adiabatic methods typically require long device lengths, hindering miniaturization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design variable couplings in three-waveguide directional couplers using shortcuts to adiabaticity.
• To achieve efficient light transfer between outer waveguides in shorter device lengths.
• To investigate the impact of nonlinearity on light transfer efficiency using this method.

Main Methods:

• Application of shortcuts to adiabaticity (STA) for designing waveguide couplings.
• Numerical simulations to test designed couplings in linear and nonlinear waveguide configurations.
• Analysis of light transfer efficiency as a function of input power and device length.

Main Results:

• High transfer efficiency is maintained in most configurations, even with significant nonlinearity and input power.
• Shortcut couplings allow for shorter device lengths compared to conventional adiabatic devices.
• Efficiency is enhanced when shortcut couplings have a smaller spatial extent, minimizing nonlinear effects.

Conclusions:

• Shortcuts to adiabaticity provide an effective method for designing compact and efficient nonlinear waveguide couplers.
• The developed technique offers a promising solution for fast and controlled light transmission in integrated optical systems.
• Reduced device size and maintained efficiency have significant implications for optoelectronic computing and ultrafast light switching.