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Photons and polaritons in a broken-time-reversal nonplanar resonator

Ningyuan Jia, Nathan Schine, Alexandros Georgakopoulos, Albert Ryou, Ariel Sommer, and Jonathan Simon
Phys. Rev. A 97, 013802 – Published 3 January 2018
Physics logo See Synopsis: Twisted Cavity Is a One-Way Light Path

Abstract

From generation of backscatter-free transmission lines, to optical isolators, to chiral Hamiltonian dynamics, breaking time-reversal symmetry is a key tool for development of next-generation photonic devices and materials. Of particular importance is the development of time-reversal-broken devices in the low-loss regime, where they can be harnessed for quantum materials and information processors. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate the isolation of a single, time-reversal-broken running-wave mode of a moderate-finesse optical resonator. Nonplanarity of the optical path produces a round-trip geometrical (Pancharatnam) polarization rotation, breaking the inversion symmetry of the photonic modes. The residual time-reversal symmetry between forward-σ+–backward-σ modes is broken through an atomic Faraday rotation induced by an optically pumped ensemble of Rb87 atoms residing in the resonator. We observe a splitting of 6.3 linewidths between time-reversal partners and a corresponding optical isolation of ∼20.1(4) dB, with 83(1)% relative forward cavity transmission. Finally, we explore the impact of twisted resonators on T-breaking of intracavity Rydberg polaritons, a crucial ingredient of photonic materials and, specifically, topological optical matter. As a highly coherent approach to time-reversal breaking, this work will find immediate application in the creation of photonic materials and also in switchable narrow-band optical isolators.

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  • Received 11 September 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.97.013802

©2018 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Atomic, Molecular & Optical

Synopsis

Key Image

Twisted Cavity Is a One-Way Light Path

Published 3 January 2018

A cavity containing spin-polarized atoms can serve as an optical isolator that breaks time-reversal symmetry by letting only forward-moving light pass.  

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Authors & Affiliations

Ningyuan Jia*, Nathan Schine, Alexandros Georgakopoulos, Albert Ryou, Ariel Sommer, and Jonathan Simon§

  • Department of Physics and James Franck Institute, University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, Ilinois 60637, USA

  • *njia4@uchicago.edu
  • Present address: Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, 185 Stevens Way, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
  • Present address: Department of Physics, Lehigh University, 16 Memorial Drive East, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, USA.
  • §simonjon@uchicago.edu

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Issue

Vol. 97, Iss. 1 — January 2018

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