Optical phase noise engineering via acousto-optic interaction and its interferometric applications

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates precise control of optical phase noise through acousto-optic interaction, enabling manipulation of interference visibility and potential applications in quantum optics and optical networks.

Contribution

It introduces a method to engineer optical phase noise via digital RF signals and explores its applications in interferometry and photon correlation enhancement.

Findings

Controlled phase noise modulates interference fringes.

Engineered phase noise can convert dark ports into correlated photon sources.

The approach enables rapid, fine-tuned optical phase manipulation.

Abstract

We exercise rapid and fine control over the phase of light by transferring digitally gen- erated phase jumps from radio frequency (rf) electrical signals onto light by means of acousto-optic interaction. By tailoring the statistics of phase jumps in the electrical signal and thereby engineering the optical phase noise, we manipulate the visibil- ity of interference fringes in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer that incorporates two acousto-optic modulators. Such controlled dephasing finds applications in modern experiments involving the spread or diffusion of light in an optical network. Further, we analytically show how engineered partial phase noise can convert the dark port of a stabilised interferometer to a weak source of highly correlated photons.