Unconventional photon blockade in three-mode optomechanics

TL;DR

This paper investigates photon antibunching in a three-mode optomechanical system with weak Kerr nonlinearity, showing that destructive quantum interference enables photon blockade under optimal conditions.

Contribution

It introduces an analytical framework for photon blockade in a three-mode optomechanical system with weak nonlinearity, highlighting the role of quantum interference.

Findings

Optimal conditions for photon antibunching identified

Analytical results match numerical simulations

Photon blockade driven by destructive interference

Abstract

We analyze the photon correlations in an optomechanical system containing two nonlinear optical modes and one mechanical mode which are coupled via a three-mode mixing. Under a weak driving condition, we determine the optimal conditions for photon antibunching in the weak Kerr-nonlinear regime and we find that the analytical calculations are consistent with the numerical results. The photon blockade effect is attributed to destructive quantum interference in the two-photon excitation pathways created as a result of the three-mode interaction.