Transfer of Orbital Angular Momentum in Vortex Light through Four-Wave Mixing and the Manipulation of Slow and Fast Light

TL;DR

This paper provides a theoretical analysis of orbital angular momentum transfer in vortex light through four-wave mixing in a four-level system, exploring OAM conservation, transmission efficiency, phase distortion, and tunable slow and fast light for quantum applications.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive theoretical framework for OAM transfer and manipulation of slow and fast light in a dual-Lambda system, addressing previously overlooked aspects.

Findings

OAM transfer follows a specific algebraic relationship.

Optimal conditions for vortex light transmission are identified.

Conversion between vortex slow and fast light is demonstrated.

Abstract

Vortex light, a unique optical field that carries orbital angular momentum (OAM), has attracted considerable attention in recent years. In this paper, we present a detailed theoretical analysis of OAM transfer from the input field to the generated signal field in a four-level double-Lambda system via the four-wave mixing (FWM) process, showing that their OAMs follow a specific algebraic relationship. We identify the optimal conditions for efficient vortex light transmission, analyze the influence of detuning on transmission efficiency and phase distortion, and specifically examine the scenario where the control field carries OAM the latter being essential for a complete characterization of OAM conservation in the FWM process, while all three aspects have been largely overlooked in the existing literature. Furthermore, we investigated the tunability of the group velocity between the probe and signal fields by modulating the Rabi frequencies of the two control fields and the relative phase between the probe and signal fields during the FWM process. We demonstrate that the conversion between matched vortex slow and fast light can be realized an effect that has not been widely explored in dual-Lambda-type systems. These results may hold promise for applications in quantum information storage and processing, quantum computing, and ultrasensitive detection.