Ryan Hamerly

Advantages of coherent feedback for cooling quantum oscillators.

We model the cooling of open optical and optomechanical resonators via optical feedback in the linear quadratic Gaussian setting of stochastic control theory. We show that coherent feedback control schemes, in which the resonator is embedded in an interferometer to achieve all-optical feedback, can outperform the best possible linear quadratic Gaussian measurement-based schemes in the quantum regime of low steady-state excitation number. Such performance gains are attributed to the coherent controllers ability to process noncommuting output field quadratures simultaneously without loss of fidelity, and may provide important clues for the design of coherent feedback schemes for more general problems of nonlinear and robust control.

Large-scale Ising spin network based on degenerate optical parametric oscillators

Solving combinatorial optimization problems is becoming increasingly important in modern society, where the analysis and optimization of unprecedentedly complex systems are required. Many such problems can be mapped onto the ground-state-search problem of the Ising Hamiltonian, and simulating the Ising spins with physical systems is now emerging as a promising approach for tackling such problems. Here, we report a large-scale network of artificial spins based on degenerate optical parametric oscillators (DOPOs), paving the way towards a photonic Ising machine capable of solving difficult combinatorial optimization problems. We generate >10,000 time-division-multiplexed DOPOs using dual-pump four-wave mixing in a highly nonlinear fibre placed in a cavity. Using those DOPOs, a one-dimensional Ising model is simulated by introducing nearest-neighbour optical coupling. We observe the formation of spin domains and find that the domain size diverges near the DOPO threshold, which suggests that the DOPO network can simulate the behaviour of low-temperature Ising spins. More than 10,000 time-division-multiplexed degenerate parametric oscillators are generated using phase-sensitive amplification in a nonlinear optical fibre. They can be used to simulate a coherent Ising machine that could solve difficult computing problems.

Coherent controllers for optical-feedback cooling of quantum oscillators

We study the cooling performance of optical-feedback controllers for open optical and mechanical resonators in the Linear Quadratic Gaussian setting of stochastic control theory. We utilize analysis and numerical optimization of closed-loop models based on quantum stochastic differential equations to show that coherent control schemes, where we embed the resonator in an interferometer to achieve all-optical feedback, can outperform optimal measurement-based feedback control schemes in the quantum regime of low steady-state excitation number. These performance gains are attributed to the coherent controllers ability to simultaneously process both quadratures of an optical probe field without measurement or loss of fidelity, and may guide the design of coherent feedback schemes for more general problems of robust nonlinear and robust control.

Quantum noise of free-carrier dispersion in semiconductor optical cavities

This paper derives Langevin equations for an optical cavity where the dominant nonlinearity arises from free-carrier dispersion. We define a generalized Wigner function, compute a Fokker-Planck equation that approximates the master equation, and convert this to a system of stochastic differential equations. These equations are similar to the Wigner equations for an optical Kerr cavity, but have additional noise terms due to the incoherent carrier excitation and decay processes. We use these equations to simulate a phase-sensitive amplifier and latch and compare the results to a Kerr model.

A 16-bit Coherent Ising Machine for One-Dimensional Ring and Cubic Graph Problems

Many tasks in our modern life, such as planning an efficient travel, image processing and optimizing integrated circuit design, are modeled as complex combinatorial optimization problems with binary variables. Such problems can be mapped to finding a ground state of the Ising Hamiltonian, thus various physical systems have been studied to emulate and solve this Ising problem. Recently, networks of mutually injected optical oscillators, called coherent Ising machines, have been developed as promising solvers for the problem, benefiting from programmability, scalability and room temperature operation. Here, we report a 16-bit coherent Ising machine based on a network of time-division-multiplexed femtosecond degenerate optical parametric oscillators. The system experimentally gives more than 99.6% of success rates for one-dimensional Ising ring and nondeterministic polynomial-time (NP) hard instances. The experimental and numerical results indicate that gradual pumping of the network combined with multiple spectral and temporal modes of the femtosecond pulses can improve the computational performance of the Ising machine, offering a new path for tackling larger and more complex instances.

Reduced models and design principles for half-harmonic generation in synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillators

We develop reduced models that describe half-harmonic generation in a synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator above threshold, where nonlinearity, dispersion, and group-velocity mismatch are all relevant. These models are based on (1) an eigenmode expansion for low pump powers, (2) a simultonlike sech-pulse ansatz for intermediate powers, and (3) dispersionless box-shaped pulses for high powers. Analytic formulas for pulse compression, degenerate vs nondegenerate operation, and stability are derived and compared to numerical and experimental results.

Transformation of Quantum Photonic Circuit Models by Term Rewriting

The development of practical methods for synthesis and verification of complex photonic circuits presents a grand challenge for the nascent field of quantum engineering. Of course, classical electrical engineering provides essential foundations and serves to illustrate the degree of sophistication that can be achieved in automated circuit design. In this paper, we explore the utility of term rewriting approaches to the transformation of quantum circuit models, specifically applying rewrite rules for both reduction/verification and robustness analysis of photonic circuits for autonomous quantum error correction. We outline a workflow for quantum photonic circuit analysis that leverages the Modelica framework for multidomain physical modeling, which parallels a previously described approach based on VHSIC Hardware Description Language (VHDL).

Comprehensive analysis of the optical Kerr coefficient of graphene

We present a comprehensive analysis of the nonlinear optical Kerr effect in graphene. We directly solve the

Optical Devices Based on Limit Cycles and Amplification in Semiconductor Optical Cavities

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Large-scale artificial spin network based on time-multiplexed degenerate optical parametric oscillators for coherent Ising machine

-matrix element to calculate the absorption rate, utilizing the Volkov-Keldysh-type crystal wave functions. We then convert to the nonlinear refractive index coefficients through the Kramers-Kronig relation. In this formalism, the source of Kerr nonlinearity is the interplay of optical fields that cooperatively drive the transition from valence to conduction band. This formalism makes it possible to identify and compute the rates of distinct nonlinear processes that contribute to the Kerr nonlinear refractive index coefficient. The four identified mechanisms are two-photon absorption, Raman transition, self-coupling, and quadratic ac Stark effect. We also present a comparison of our theory with recent experimental and theoretical results.