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Updated: Jul 31, 2025
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Transmission of Multiple Signals through an Optical Fiber Using Wavefront Shaping
Published on: March 20, 2017
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Reconfigurable refraction manipulation at synthetic temporal interfaces with scalar and vector gauge potentials
Han Ye1,2, Chengzhi Qin1,2, Shulin Wang1,2
1Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics and School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
Summary
This study demonstrates novel photonic gauge potentials in a quantum walk, creating reconfigurable temporal-refraction effects and enabling phenomena like total internal reflection and birefringence for advanced optical applications.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and Quantum Optics
- Condensed Matter Physics
Background:
- Photonic gauge potentials are crucial for emulating topological effects and controlling light transport.
- Existing research primarily manipulates light in uniform gauge potentials, limiting dynamic control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create and investigate gauge-potential interfaces in a nonuniform discrete-time quantum walk.
- To demonstrate reconfigurable temporal-refraction effects using scalar and vector potentials.
- To explore novel light transport dynamics and phenomena such as temporal total internal reflection and birefringence.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a discrete-time quantum walk with nonuniformly distributed scalar and vector gauge potentials.
- Designing lattice-site and time-evolution interfaces to control light propagation.
- Experimentally demonstrating Aharonov-Bohm effects with combined interface types.
Main Results:
- Scalar potentials induce total internal reflection (TIR) or Klein tunneling at lattice-site interfaces.
- Vector potentials exhibit direction-invariant refractions and enable birefringence at time-evolution interfaces.
- Frustrated TIR and a temporal superlens for time-reversal operations were demonstrated.
- Experimental validation of electric and magnetic Aharonov-Bohm effects was achieved.
Conclusions:
- This work pioneers artificial heterointerfaces in the synthetic time dimension using reconfigurable gauge potentials.
- The demonstrated phenomena offer potential applications in optical pulse reshaping, fiber-optic communications, and quantum simulations.
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