Tunable surface plasmon-polaritons based on quantum coherence.

Tunable surface plasmons on the interface of a multilevel atomic medium with a cross coupling of the electric and magnetic components of a plasmonic field are investigated. The strong chirality resulting from the quantum coherence leads to some exciting properties of the surface plasmons. Compared to the traditional chiral-metal interface, surface plasmonic mode can still be found at the interface between such atomic media and a dielectric even when both the permittivity and the permeability of the medium are positive. This is in contrast to the conventional plasmonic systems where the signs of the permittivities or permeabilities on the two sides of the interface are opposite. We call this phenomenon an electromagnetically induced plasmon. Additionally, as the chirality and effective refractive index of the atomic medium are dependent on the intensity and phase of the controlling field, we can conveniently manipulate the properties of the surface plasmons.

Loophole-free bell test for continuous variables via wave and particle correlations.

We derive two classes of multimode Bell inequalities under local realistic assumptions, which are violated only by the entangled states negative under partial transposition in accordance with the Peres conjecture. Remarkably, the failure of local realism can be manifested by exploiting wave and particle correlations of readily accessible continuous-variable states, with very large violation of inequalities insensitive to detector efficiency, which makes a strong case for a loophole-free test.

Quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects: without the rotating-wave approximation.

We show that the counterrotating, neglected in the previous studies of the quantum Zeno effect (QZE) in atomic decay, can have a large impact on the short-time evolution. We calculate the electron self-energy, the Lamb shift, and the QZE without making the rotating-wave approximation (RWA) and show that, for hydrogen in free space, the Zeno time is longer by 2 orders of magnitude than that obtained from the RWA. We also show that there is no anti-Zeno effect as the counterrotating terms and rotating terms represent the opposite processes in the higher frequency region. Consequently, the experimental measurement of the QZE may be much easier than what was determined with the RWA results.

Resonant interferometric lithography beyond the diffraction limit.

A novel approach for the generation of subwavelength structures in interferometric optical lithography is described. Our scheme relies on the preparation of the system in a position dependent trapping state via phase shifted standing wave patterns. Since this process only comprises resonant atom-field interactions, a multiphoton absorption medium is not required. The contrast of the induced pattern does only depend on the ratios of the applied field strengths such that our method in principle works at very low laser intensities.

Quantum lithography with classical light.

We show how to achieve subwavelength diffraction and imaging with classical light, previously thought to require quantum fields. By correlating wave vector and frequency in a narrow band, multiphoton detection process that uses Doppleron-type resonances, we show how to achieve arbitrary focal and image plane patterning with classical laser light at submultiples of the Rayleigh limit, with high efficiency, visibility, and spatial coherence. A frequency-selective measurement process thus allows one to simulate, semiclassically, the path-number correlations that distinguish a quantum entangled field.

Enhancement of Kerr nonlinearity by multiphoton coherence.

We propose a new method of resonant enhancement of optical Kerr nonlinearity that uses multilevel atomic coherence. The enhancement is accompanied by suppression of the other linear and nonlinear susceptibility terms of the medium. We show that the effect results in a modification of the nonlinear Faraday rotation of light propagating in an 87Rb vapor cell by changing the ellipticity of the light.

FAST CARS: engineering a laser spectroscopic technique for rapid identification of bacterial spores.

Airborne contaminants, e.g., bacterial spores, are usually analyzed by time-consuming microscopic, chemical, and biological assays. Current research into real-time laser spectroscopic detectors of such contaminants is based on e.g., resonance fluorescence. The present approach derives from recent experiments in which atoms and molecules are prepared by one (or more) coherent laser(s) and probed by another set of lasers. However, generating and using maximally coherent oscillation in macromolecules having an enormous number of degrees of freedom is challenging. In particular, the short dephasing times and rapid internal conversion rates are major obstacles. However, adiabatic fast passage techniques and the ability to generate combs of phase-coherent femtosecond pulses provide tools for the generation and utilization of maximal quantum coherence in large molecules and biopolymers. We call this technique FAST CARS (femtosecond adaptive spectroscopic techniques for coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy), and the present article proposes and analyses ways in which it could be used to rapidly identify preselected molecules in real time.

Quantum optical implementation of Grover's algorithm.

We present a scheme for a quantum optical implementation of Grover's algorithm based on resonant atomic interactions with classical fields and dispersive couplings with quantized cavity fields. The proposed scheme depends on preparation of entangled states and is within current state-of-the-art technology.

Implementation of associative memory using grating structures.

An associative-memory model and its optical implementation with grating structures are presented. The transmission function of each pixel of the content-addressable memory is calculated by use of scalar diffraction theory. The filter of the calculated transmission function can be fabricated with computer-generated holography and a multiexposure holographic technique. The proposed approach is found useful in terms of storage and the simple thresholding at the number of on-state pixels in the input.

Optical flip-flops in a polarization-encoded optical shadow-casting scheme.

We propose a novel scheme that optically implements various types of binary sequential logic elements. This is based on a polarization-encoded optical shadow-casting system. The proposed system architecture is capable of implementing synchronous as well as asynchronous sequential circuits owing to the inherent structural flexibility of optical shadow casting. By employing the proposed system, we present the design and implementation schemes of a J-K flip-flop and clocked R-S and D latches. The main feature of these flip-flops is that the propagation of the signal from the input plane to the output (i.e., processing) and from the output plane to the source plane (i.e., feedback) is all optical. Consequently the efficiency of these elements in terms of speed is increased. The only electronic part in the system is the detection of the outputs and the switching of the source plane.

Colored pattern recognition with a neural network model.

An algorithm for multicolored pattern recognition is proposed. A scheme for recognizing patterns encoded in three basic colors, i.e., red, green, and blue, is presented. This scheme can be implemented optically with grating structures. Another advantage of this scheme is its capability of pattern recognition with gray levels. This can be accomplished by coding gray levels with different colors.

Implementation of trinary logic in a polarization encoded optical shadow-casting scheme.

The design of various multioutput trinary combinational logic units by a polarization encoded optical shadow-casting (POSC) technique is presented. The POSC modified algorithm is employed to design and implement these logic elements in a trinary number system with separate and simultaneous generation of outputs. A detailed solution of the POSC logic equations for a fixed source plane and a fixed decoding mask is given to obtain input pixel coding for a trinary half-adder, full adder, and subtractor.

Separate and simultaneous generation of multioutputs in a polarization-encoded optical shadow-casting scheme: design of half- and full adders and subtractors.

A design algorithm for separate and simultaneous generation of multioutputs in a polarization-encoded optical shadow-casting (POSC) scheme is presented. The logic unit truth table is converted into POSC logic equations for true and false logic. These are then solved consistently to obtain source plane, input pixel, and the decoding mask characteristics. The algorithm is used to design binary half-adder and half-subtractor and full adder and full subtractor to carry out all operations with a fixed source plane and a fixed decoding mask. The results have been verified experimentally.

Design of optical decoders using a polarization-encoded optical shadow-casting scheme.

We present the design of various decoders in the polarization-encoded optical shadow-casting scheme (POSC). A general algorithm is used to design these multioutput combinational logic units with separate and simultaneous generation of outputs. In particular, the design of a binary coded decimal (BCD) to an Octal decoder and a BCD to an Excess-3 converter is presented for a fixed source plane as well as a fixed decoding mask. The results have been verified experimentally.

Quantum theory of laser and optical-bistability instabilities.

We present the first reported fully quantum-mechanical theory of laser/optical-bistability instabilities that shows how cavity side modes grow from spontaneous emission. Because of three-wave mixing, a two-peaked spontaneous-emission spectrum is obtained in contrast to the three-peaked spectrum of resonance fluorescence. The theory is a multimode extension of Scully-Lamb theory that shows how population pulsations, combination tones, mode locking, and phase conjugation occur with quantum-mechanical fields.