Germán J. de Valcárcel

N-dimensional alternate coined quantum walks from a dispersion-relation perspective

Inbothitsstandardforms,thecoined[1]andthecontinuousone [2], quantum walk is the quantum version of a classicalrandom process, described by the diffusion and the teleg-rapher’s equations, respectively [3]. In the coined quantumwalk—the process we consider here—there is a system (thewalker)thatundergoesaconditionaldisplacement,totherightor the left, depending on the output of a

General Linearized Theory of Quantum Fluctuations around Arbitrary Limit Cycles

The theory of Gaussian quantum fluctuations around classical steady states in nonlinear quantum-optical systems (also known as standard linearization) is a cornerstone for the analysis of such systems. Its simplicity, together with its accuracy far from critical points or situations where the nonlinearity reaches the strong coupling regime, has turned it into a widespread technique, being the first method of choice in most works on the subject. However, such a technique finds strong practical and conceptual complications when one tries to apply it to situations in which the classical long-time solution is time dependent, a most prominent example being spontaneous limit-cycle formation. Here, we introduce a linearization scheme adapted to such situations, using the driven Van der Pol oscillator as a test bed for the method, which allows us to compare it with full numerical simulations. On a conceptual level, the scheme relies on the connection between the emergence of limit cycles and the spontaneous breaking of the symmetry under temporal translations. On the practical side, the method keeps the simplicity and linear scaling with the size of the problem (number of modes) characteristic of standard linearization, making it applicable to large (many-body) systems.

Strong vacuum squeezing from bichromatically driven Kerrlike cavities: from optomechanics to superconducting circuits

Squeezed light, displaying less fluctuation than vacuum in some observable, is key in the flourishing field of quantum technologies. Optical or microwave cavities containing a Kerr nonlinearity are known to potentially yield large levels of squeezing, which have been recently observed in optomechanics and nonlinear superconducting circuit platforms. Such Kerr-cavity squeezing however suffers from two fundamental drawbacks. First, optimal squeezing requires working close to turning points of a bistable cycle, which are highly unstable against noise thus rendering optimal squeezing inaccessible. Second, the light field has a macroscopic coherent component corresponding to the pump, making it less versatile than the so-called squeezed vacuum, characterised by a null mean field. Here we prove analytically and numerically that the bichromatic pumping of optomechanical and superconducting circuit cavities removes both limitations. This finding should boost the development of a new generation of robust vacuum squeezers in the microwave and optical domains with current technology.

Dissipative structures in optomechanical cavities

Motivated by the increasing interest in the properties of multimode optomechanical devices, here we study a system in which a driven mode of a large-area optical cavity is despersively coupled to a deformable mechanical element. Two different models naturally appear in such scenario, for which we predict the formation of periodic patterns, localized structures (cavity solitons), and domain walls, among other complex nonlinear phenomena. Further, we propose a realistic design based on intracavity membranes where our models can be studied experimentally. Apart from its relevance to the field of nonlinear optics, the results put forward here are a necessary step towards understanding the quantum properties of optomechanical systems in the multimode regime of both the optical and mechanical degrees of freedom.

Noncritical generation of nonclassical frequency combs via spontaneous rotational symmetry breaking

Synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillators (SPOPOs) are optical cavities containing a nonlinear crystal capable of down-converting a frequency comb to lower frequencies. These have received a lot of attention lately, because their intrinsic multimode nature makes them compact sources of quantum correlated light with promising applications in modern quantum information technologies. In this work we show that SPOPOs are also capable of accessing the challenging but interesting regime where spontaneous symmetry breaking plays a crucial role in the quantum properties of the emitted light, difficult to access with any other nonlinear optical cavity. Apart from opening the possibility of studying experimentally this elusive regime of dissipative phase transitions, our predictions will have a practical impact, since we show that spontaneous symmetry breaking provides a specific spatiotemporal mode with perfect squeezing for any value of the system parameters, turning SPOPOs into robust sources of highly nonclassical light above threshold.

A semiclassical optics derivation of Einstein’s rate equations

We provide a semiclassical optics derivation of Einstein’s rate equations (ERE) for a two-level system illuminated by a broadband light field, setting a limit on their validity that depends on the spectral properties of the light field. Starting from the optical Bloch equations for individual atoms, the ensemble averaged atomic inversion is shown to follow ERE under two concurrent hypotheses: (i) the decorrelation of the inversion at a given time from the field at later times and (ii) a Markov approximation owing to the short correlation time of the light field. When the latter hypothesis is relaxed, we find effective Bloch equations for the ensemble average in which the atomic polarization decay rate is increased by an amount equal to the width of the light spectrum, which allows its adiabatic elimination for a large enough spectral width. The use of a phase-diffusion model of light allows us to check our results and hypotheses using numerical simulations of the corresponding stochastic differential equa...

Subdiffractive Solitons in Bose-Einstein Condensates

We predict the disappearance of diffraction (the increase of the mass) of Bose-Einstein condensates in counter-moving periodic potentials. We demonstrate subdiffractive solitons (stable droplets of the condensate) in the vicinity of this zero diffraction point.

Two-particle coined-quantum walk with long-range interaction

We present and study a two-particle quantum walk on the line in which the two particles interact via a long-range Coulombian-like interaction. We obtain the spectrum of the system as well as study the type of molecules that form, attending to the bosonic or fermionic nature of the walkers. The usual loss of distinction between attractive and repulsive forces does not entirely apply in our model because of the long-range of the interaction.

Electric quantum walks in two dimensions

We study electric quantum walks in two dimensions considering Grover, Alternate, Hadamard, and DFT quantum walks. In the Grover walk the behaviour under an electric field is easy to summarize: when the field direction coincides with the x or y axes, it produces a transient trapping of the probability distribution along the direction of the field, while when it is directed along the diagonals, a perfect 2D trapping is frustrated. The analysis of the alternate walk helps to understand the behaviour of the Grover walk as both walks are partially equivalent; in particular, it helps to understand the role played by the existence of conical intersections in the dispersion relations, as we show that when these are removed a perfect 2D trapping can occur for suitable directions of the field. We complete our study with the electric DFT and Hadamard walks in 2D, showing that the latter can exhibit perfect 2D trapping.

Optical four-wave mixing and generation of squeezed light in an optomechanical cavity driven by a bichromatic field

We show that an optomechanical cavity pumped by a bichromatic light beam can generate a signal whose frequency lies halfway between the two driving frequencies. This process can be understood as a degenerate four-wave mixing, in which two pump photons (one from each frequency) are combined to yield two identical signal photons. This process takes place between a lower and an upper threshold in terms of the pump intensity, which depend on the pump frequency difference. Close to the signal oscillation threshold a clear noise reduction in one of its quadratures is shown numerically.