Localization-delocalization Transition in an electromagnetically induced photonic lattice

TL;DR

This paper explores how a tunable electromagnetically induced photonic lattice can exhibit a transition between localized and delocalized light states, enabling control over light propagation in complex optical structures.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method to generate and manipulate photonic moiré lattices using atomic coherence and EIT, demonstrating control over localization-delocalization transitions.

Findings

Localization occurs in flat band regions of the moiré lattice.

Adjusting the twist angle creates periodic and aperiodic structures.

Tuning amplitudes induces localization-delocalization transition.

Abstract

We investigate the localization-delocalization transition (LDT) in an electromagnetically induced photonic lattice. A four-level tripod-type scheme in atomic ensembles is proposed to generate an effective photonic moir\'{e} lattice through the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) mechanism. By taking advantage of the tunable atomic coherence, we show that both periodic (commensurable) and aperiodic (incommensurable) structure can be created in such a photonic moir\'{e} lattice via adjusting the twist angle between two superimposed periodic patterns with square primitive. Furthermore, we also find that by tuning the amplitudes of these two superimposed periodic patterns, the localization-delocalization transition occurs for the light propagating in the aperiodic moir\'{e} lattice. Such localization is shown to link the fact that the flat bands of moir\'{e} lattice support quasi-nondiffracting localized modes and thus induce the localization of the initially localized beam. It would provide a promising approach to control the light propagation via the electromagnetically induced photonic lattice.