Temporal condensed matter physics in gas-filled photonic crystal fibers

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that pulse propagation in Raman-active gas-filled photonic crystal fibers can simulate condensed matter phenomena like Wannier-Stark ladders and Bloch oscillations in the temporal domain, bridging optics and condensed matter physics.

Contribution

It establishes a theoretical and numerical analogy between optical pulse dynamics in gas-filled fibers and quantum condensed matter systems, revealing new ways to explore these phenomena optically.

Findings

Existence of Wannier-Stark ladders in optical systems

Observation of Bloch oscillations in the temporal domain

Prediction of Zener tunneling phenomena in fibers

Abstract

Raman effect in gases can generate an extremely long-living wave of coherence that can lead to the establishment of an almost perfect periodic variation of the medium refractive index. We show theoretically and numerically that the equations, regulate the pulse propagation in hollow-core photonic crystal fibers filled by Raman-active gas, are exactly identical to a classical problem in quantum condensed matter physics -- but with the role of space and time reversed -- namely an electron in a periodic potential subject to a constant electric field. We are therefore able to infer the existence of Wannier-Stark ladders, Bloch oscillations, and Zener tunneling, phenomena that are normally associated with condensed matter physics only, now realized with purely optical means in the temporal domain.