Spectral phase transitions in optical parametric oscillators
Open Access
- 5 February 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Nature Communications
- Vol. 12 (1), 1-9
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21048-z
Abstract
Driven nonlinear resonators provide a fertile ground for phenomena related to phase transitions far from equilibrium, which can open opportunities unattainable in their linear counterparts. Here, we show that optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) can undergo second-order phase transitions in the spectral domain between degenerate and non-degenerate regimes. This abrupt change in the spectral response follows a square-root dependence around the critical point, exhibiting high sensitivity to parameter variation akin to systems around an exceptional point. We experimentally demonstrate such a phase transition in a quadratic OPO. We show that the divergent susceptibility of the critical point is accompanied by spontaneous symmetry breaking and distinct phase noise properties in the two regimes, indicating the importance of a beyond nonlinear bifurcation interpretation. We also predict the occurrence of first-order spectral phase transitions in coupled OPOs. Our results on non-equilibrium spectral behaviors can be utilized for enhanced sensing, advanced computing, and quantum information processing.Funding Information
- United States Department of Defense | United States Air Force | AFMC | Air Force Office of Scientific Research (FA9550-20-1-0040)
- United States Department of Defense | United States Army | U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command | Army Research Office (W911NF- 18-1-0285)
- National Science Foundation (1846273, 1918549)
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