Huang, Wayne Cheng-Wei

Date: Wednesday Feb 18, 2015
Time: 14:00
Place: ETH Zurich, Hönggerberg, HIT E41.1
Host: Jonathan Home

Parametric interaction: Seeing the other side of the coin

Wayne Cheng-Wei Huang
Texas A&M University, USA

Parametric interaction plays a central role in nonlinear quantum optics. Applications include photon entanglement, heralded single-photon, and quantum frequency conversion. In this presentation, I would like to talk about two interesting topics related to parametric interaction. First, I will discuss the finding of nonclassical states with a classical oscillator. The oscillator is immersed in the vacuum field while being driven by a traveling pulse. The phenomenon arises the curious question: Are nonclassical states truly quantum? Or is there an alternative interpretation for the so-called quantum effects? When two field-modes are involved in a parametric process, as in parametric down conversion, instability can occur if the system is pumped at the sum frequency. In the second topic, I will discuss how asymmetric parametric interaction could lead to excitation at the difference frequency. This concept is pioneered by Marlan Scully’s group in a recent paper discussing QASER [1]. In contrast to an optical parametric amplifier, a QASER is a device that amplifies the seeded light with a lower-frequency pump. Using a femtosecond infrared laser, a QASER could in principle create parametric gain for coherent X-ray. Ongoing experimental investigation of QASER has been developed for its mechanical and acoustic analogues.

[1] A. A. Svidzinsky, L. Yuan, and M. O. Scully, Phys. Rev. X 3, 041001 (2013).