Atomic spin-controlled non-reciprocal Raman amplification of fibre-guided light

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a novel non-reciprocal optical amplifier using spin-polarized atoms coupled to a nanofibre, enabling direction control of amplification without external magnetic fields, with potential applications in optical networks and integrated photonics.

Contribution

It introduces a new mechanism for non-reciprocal Raman amplification based on atomic spin polarization and local polarization effects, eliminating the need for magnetic fields.

Findings

Achieved non-reciprocal amplification of fibre-guided light.

Controlled amplification direction via atomic spin state.

Potential for integration into photonic circuits.

Abstract

In a non-reciprocal optical amplifier, gain depends on whether the light propagates forwards or backwards through the device. Typically, one requires either the magneto-optical effect, a temporal modulation, or an optical nonlinearity to break reciprocity. By contrast, here, we demonstrate non-reciprocal amplification of fibre-guided light using Raman gain provided by spin-polarized atoms that are coupled to the nanofibre waist of a tapered fibre section. The non-reciprocal response originates from the propagation direction-dependent local polarization of the nanofibre-guided mode in conjunction with polarization-dependent atom-light coupling. We show that this novel mechanism does not require an external magnetic field and that it allows us to fully control the direction of amplification via the atomic spin state. Our results may simplify the construction of complex optical networks. Moreover, suitable solid-state based quantum emitters provided, our scheme could be readily implemented in photonic integrated circuits.