Control of nonlinear processes using versatile random photonic sources: Application to the energy deposition in a dielectric material

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel stochastic photonic source with tunable statistical properties, demonstrating its ability to significantly enhance energy deposition in dielectric materials through nonlinear interactions.

Contribution

The work presents a new method to tailor the statistical properties of a stochastic light source using a modified Mach-Zehnder interferometer, impacting nonlinear process efficiency.

Findings

The statistical properties of the light can be precisely controlled.

Energy deposition in dielectric materials can be increased by several orders of magnitude.

The modified source significantly influences nonlinear phenomena yield.

Abstract

We report on the properties of a non-conventional stochastic photonic source. We first describe the principle of nonlinear intensity filtering by using a modified Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The latter alters the characteristics of an input stochastic source based on Bose-Einstein emission. Computed output intensity fluctuations are compared to an analytical model. Adjusting the interferometer parameters, we show theoretically and numerically that the statistical properties of light such as its probability density function can be tailored. Depending on the parameters, the probability density may exhibit large overshoots or smoother fluctuations. We further evaluate the impact of these modified statistics on simple nonlinear processes. Compared to Bose-Einstein emitters, the yield of nonlinear phenomena varies by several orders of magnitude. We finally simulate the nonlinear interaction of such a laser source with a dielectric material (fused silica) within the framework of a more realistic model, including a statistical analysis. It confirms that the deposited energy varies over many decades and can be largely enhanced due to the properties of the presented laser source.