Non-Hermitian spectral degeneracies, known as exceptional points (EPs), feature simultaneous coalescence of both eigenvalues and the associated eigenstates of a system. A host of intriguing EP effects and their applications have been revealed in the classical realm, such as loss-induced lasing, single-mode laser, and EP-enhanced sensing. Here we show that a purely quantum effect, known as single-photon blockade, emerges in a Kerr microring resonator due to EP-induced asymmetric coupling between the optical modes and the nonlinearity-induced anharmonic energy-level spacing. A striking feature of this photon blockade is that it emerges at two-photon resonance which in Hermitian systems will only lead to photon-induced tunneling but not to photon blockade. By tuning the system towards to or away from an EP, one can control quantum correlations, implying the potential use of our system for frequency tunable single-photon generation and an antibunching-to-bunching light switch. Our work sheds new light on EP-engineered purely quantum effects, providing unique opportunities for making and utilizing various single-photon quantum EP devices.
We propose to mechanically control photon blockades (PB) in an optomechanical system with driving oscillators. We show that by tuning the mechanical driving parameters we achieve selective single-photon blockade (1PB) or two-photon blockade (2PB) as well as simultaneous 1PB and 2PB at the same frequency. This mechanical engineering of 1PB and 2PB can be understood from the anharmonic energy levels due to the modulation of the mechanical driving. In contrast to the optomechanical systems without any mechanical driving featuring PB only for specific optical detuning, our results can be useful fo…
An arbitrary initial state of an optical or microwave field in a lossy driven nonlinear cavity can be changed, in the steady-state limit, into a partially incoherent superposition of only the vacuum and the single-photon states. This effect is known as single-photon blockade, which is usually analyzed for a Kerr-type nonlinear cavity parametrically driven by a single-photon process assuming single-photon loss mechanisms. We study photon blockade engineering via a squeezed reservoir, i.e., a quantum reservoir, where only two-photon absorption is allowed. Namely, we analyze a lossy nonlinear cav…
We propose a protocol to realize atomic nonadiabatic holonomic quantum computation (NHQC) with two computational atoms and an auxiliary atom. Dynamics of the system is analyzed in the regime of Rydberg blockade, and robust laser pulses are designed via reverse engineering, so that quantum gates can be easily realized with high fidelities. In addition, we also study the evolution suffering from dissipation with a master equation. The result indicates that decays of atoms can be heralded by measuring the state of the auxiliary atom, and nearly perfect unitary evolution can be obtained if the aux…
We propose how to achieve quantum nonreciprocity via unconventional photon blockade (UPB) in a compound device consisting of an optical harmonic resonator and a spinning optomechanical resonator. We show that, even with an extremely weak single-photon nonlinearity, nonreciprocal UPB can emerge in this system, i.e., strong photon antibunching can emerge only by driving the device from one side, but not from the other side. This nonreciprocity results from the Fizeau drag, leading to different splitting of the resonance frequencies for the counter-circulating modes. Such nonreciprocal quantum UP…
It is well-known that some nonlinear phenomena such as strong photon blockade are hard to be observed in optomechanical system with current experimental technology. Here, we present a coherent feedback control strategy in which a linear cavity is coherently controlled by an optomechanical controller in a feedback manner. The coherent feedback loop transfers and enhances quantum nonlinearity from the controller to the controlled cavity, which makes it possible to observe strong nonlinear effects in either linear cavity or optomechanical cavity. More interestingly, we find that the strong photon…
We discuss the application of dipole blockade techniques for the preparation of single atom and single photon sources. A deterministic protocol is given for loading a single atom in an optical trap as well as ejecting a controlled number of atoms in a desired direction. A single photon source with an optically controlled beam-like emission pattern is described.
We have theoretically studied the photon statistical properties in a nonlinear whispering-gallery-mode microresonator coupled with two nanoparticles. By tuning the relative position of two nanoparticles, the photon statistical features of the system can be modified remarkably. Interestingly, a controllable switching between unconventional and conventional photon blockade can be realized by manipulating the angular positions of two nanoparticles. We also investigate the influence of the Kerr effect on the second order correlation function and find that there is an optimal choice for the relativ…
We analyse the possibilities for quantum state engineering offered by a model for Kerr-type non-linearity enhanced by electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), which was recently proposed by Petrosyan and Kurizki [{\sl Phys. Rev. A} {\bf 65}, 33833 (2002)]. We go beyond the semiclassical treatment and derive a quantum version of the model with both a full Hamiltonian approach and an analysis in terms of dressed states. The preparation of an entangled coherent state via a cross-phase modulation effect is demonstrated. We briefly show that the violation of locality for such an entangled co…
We present and analyze a toolbox for the controlled manipulation of ultracold polar molecules, consisting of detection of molecules, atom-molecule entanglement, and engineering of dissipative dynamics. Our setup is based on fast chemical reactions between molecules and atoms leading to a quantum Zeno-based collisional blockade in the system. We demonstrate that the experimental parameters for achieving high fidelities can be found using a straightforward numerical optimization. We exemplify our approach for a system comprised of NaK molecules and Na atoms and we discuss the consequences of res…
We present an experimental proposal to achieve a strong photon blockade by employing electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) with single alkaline-earth-metal atom trapped in an optical cavity. In the presence of optical Stark shift, both second-order correlation function and cavity transmission exhibit asymmetric structures between the red and blue sidebands of the cavity. For a weak control field, the photon quantum statistics for the coherent transparency window (i.e. atomic quasi-dark state resonance) are insensitive to the Stark shift, which should also be immune to the spontaneous …
We propose to synthesize arbitrary nonclassical motional states in optomechanical systems by using sideband excitations and photon blockade. We first demonstrate that the Hamiltonian of the optomechanical systems can be reduced, in the strong single-photon optomechanical coupling regime when the photon blockade occurs, to one describing the interaction between a driven two-level trapped ion and the vibrating modes, and then show a method to generate target states by using a series of classical pulses with desired frequencies, phases, and durations. We further analyze the effect of the photon l…
Nonreciprocal Photon Blockade in an Asymmetric Cavity
North University of China（中北大学）；Shanxi Key Laboratory of Graphene Sensing Materials and Devices, North University of China（中北大学石墨烯传感材料与器件山西省重点实验室）；School of Semiconductor and Physics, North University of China（中北大学半导体与物理学院）；School of Instrument and Intelligent Future Technology, North University of China（中北大学仪器与智能未来技术学院）；Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research, North University of China（中北大学交叉科学研究院）
Dual Role of Squeezed-Reservoir in Quantum Phase Synchronization: Boosting and Blockade
School of Physics and Electronic Information, Gannan Normal University（赣南师范大学物理与电子信息学院）；School of Information Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology（江西理工大学信息工程学院）；Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Multidimensional Intelligent Perception and Control, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology（江西理工大学多维智能感知与控制江西省重点实验室）
The state of a quantum system may be steered towards a predesignated target state, employing a sequence of weak $\textit{blind}$ measurements (where the detector's readouts are traced out). Here we analyze the steering of a two-level system using the interplay of a system Hamiltonian and weak measurements, and show that $\textit{any}$ pure or mixed state can be targeted. We show that the optimization of such a steering protocol is underlain by the presence of Liouvillian exceptional points. More specifically, for high purity target states, optimal steering implies purely relaxational dynamics …
We review here the studies performed about interactions in an assembly of cold Rydberg atoms. We focus more specially the review on the dipole-dipole interactions and on the effect of the dipole blockade in the laser Rydberg excitation, which offers attractive possibilities for quantum engineering. We present first the various interactions between Rydberg atoms. The laser Rydberg excitation of such an assembly is then described with the introduction of the dipole blockade phenomenon. We report recent experiments performed in this subject by starting with the case of a pair of atoms allowing th…
Time-periodic driving in the form of coherent radiation provides powerful tool for the manipulation of topological materials or synthetic quantum matter. In this paper we propose a scheme to realize non-Hermitian semimetals exhibiting exceptional rings in the spectra through Floquet engineering. A transition from a concentric pair of the rings to a dipolar pair is observed. The concentric pair carries only a quantized Berry phase while the dipolar pair possesses opposite Chern numbers in addition, signaling a topological Lifshitz transition of the Fermi surface. The transport properties of the…
Quantum fluids of light in a nonlinear planar microcavity can exhibit antibunched photon statistics at short distances due to repulsive polariton interactions. We show that, despite the weakness of the nonlinearity, the antibunching signal can be amplified orders of magnitude with an appropriate free-space optics scheme to select and interfere output modes. Our results are understood from the unconventional photon blockade perspective by analyzing the approximate Gaussian output state of the microcavity. In a second part, we illustrate how the temporal and spatial profile of the density-densit…
By periodical two-step modulation, we demonstrate that the dynamics of multilevel system can still evolve even in multiple large detunings regime, and provide the effective Hamiltonian (of interest) for this system. We then illustrate this periodical modulation in quantum state engineering, including achieving direct transition from the ground state to the Rydberg state or the desired superposition of two Rydberg states without satisfying two-photon resonance condition, switching between Rydberg blockade regime and Rydberg antiblockade regime, stimulating distinct atomic transitions by the sam…
Implementation of non-local arbitrary two-qubit controlled gates via geometric quantum computation with Rydberg anti-blockade
Zhejiang Normal University（浙江师范大学）；Zhejiang Institute of Photoelectronics（浙江光电子研究所）；Key Laboratory of Optical Information Detection and Display Technology of Zhejiang, Zhejiang Normal University（浙江省光学信息探测与显示技术重点实验室）
College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Sichuan Normal University（四川师范大学物理电子工程学院）；Microsystem and Terahertz Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics（中国工程物理研究院微系统与太赫兹研究中心）
We demonstrate a new versatile building block for optical quantum technologies, based on an intracavity Rydberg-blockaded atomic ensemble acting as a single two-level superatom. We coherently control its state and optically detect it in a single shot with a $95\%$ efficiency. Crucially, we demonstrate a superatom-state-dependent $π$ phase rotation on the light reflected from the cavity. Together with the state manipulation and detection, it is a key ingredient for implementing deterministic photonic entangling gates and for generating highly non-classical light states.
Quantum mechanics and Coulomb interaction dictate the behavior of small circuits. The thermal implications cover fundamental topics from quantum control of heat to quantum thermodynamics, with prospects of novel thermal machines and an ineluctably growing influence on nanocircuit engineering. Experimentally, the rare observations thus far include the universal thermal conductance quantum and heat interferometry. However, evidences for many-body thermal effects paving the way to markedly different heat and electrical behaviors in quantum circuits remain wanting. Here we report on the observatio…
We study the quantum evolution of a non-Hermitian qubit realized as a submanifold of a dissipative superconducting transmon circuit. Real-time tuning of the system parameters to encircle an exceptional point results in non-reciprocal quantum state transfer. We further observe chiral geometric phases accumulated under state transport, verifying the quantum coherent nature of the evolution in the complex energy landscape and distinguishing between coherent and incoherent effects associated with exceptional point encircling. Our work demonstrates an entirely new method for control over quantum st…
The Exceptional Points (EPs) of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians (NHHs) are spectral degeneracies associated with coalescing eigenvalues and eigenvectors which are associated with remarkable dynamical properties. These EPs can be generated experimentally in open quantum systems, evolving under a Lindblad equation, by postselecting on trajectories that present no quantum jumps, such that the dynamics is ruled by a NHH. Interestingly, changing the way the information used for postselection is collected leads to different unravelings, i.e., different set of trajectories which average to the same Lindbl…
We employ the intertwining operator technique to synthesize a supersymmetric (SUSY) array of arbitrary size $N$. The synthesized SUSY system is equivalent to a spin-$(N-1)/2$ under an effective magnetic field. By considering an additional imaginary magnetic field, we obtain a generalized parity-time-symmetric non-Hermitian Hamiltonian that describes a SUSY array of coupled resonators or waveguides under a gradient gain and loss; all the $N$ energy levels coalesce at an exceptional point (EP), forming the isotropic high-order EP with $N$ states coalescence (EPN). Near the EPN, the scaling expon…
Recently, there has been intense research in proposing and developing various methods for constructing high-order exceptional points (EPs) in dissipative systems. These EPs can possess a number of intriguing properties related to, e.g., chiral transport and enhanced sensitivity. Previous proposals to realize non-Hermitian Hamiltonians (NHHs) with high-order EPs have been mainly based on either direct construction of spatial networks of coupled modes or utilization of synthetic dimensions, e.g., of mapping spatial lattices to time or photon-number space. Both methods rely on the construction of…
