Eduardo Mascarenhas, Daniel Valente, Simone Montangero, Alexia Auffeves, Dario Gerace, M. Franca Santos
Electronic diodes, which enable the rectification of an electrical energy flux, have played a crucial role in the development of current microelectronics after the invention of semiconductor p-n junctions. Analogously, creating complete optical rectification at specific target wavelengths has recently become a key goal in optical communication and signal processing on-chip. Here we propose a genuinely quantum optical diode, designed as a universal quantum nonlinear device working as a valve for photonic transport at the single or few photons level. The essential rectifying features are demonstrated in a general model of a nonlinear-linear junction of coupled resonators. It is shown that such a surprisingly simple structure behaves as a single- or two-photon rectifier, depending on the input frequency. Given the relevance of non-reciprocal operations in integrated circuits, the quantum optical diode realizes a crucial building component in prospective quantum photonic applications.
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http://arxiv.org/abs/1307.6493
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