Demonstrating a non-reciprocal optical resonator for unlimited time-bandwidth performance

Ivan Cardea, Davide Grassani, Simon J. Fabbri, Jeremy Upham, Robert W. Boyd, Hatice Altug, Sebastian A. Schulz, Kosmas L. Tsakmakidis, Camille-Sophie Brès

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle

Abstract

Typical, reciprocal resonant systems are always limited to a time-bandwidth product of 1, causing a fundamental trade-off between long storage times and large acceptance bandwidths. A recent theory suggests that this limit may be arbitrarily overcome by breaking Lorentz reciprocity. We report an experimental realization of this concept using a time-variant fiber-optic cavity, where we can completely open the cavity, injecting a pulse of large bandwidth, and then close the cavity, storing the pulse and releasing it on-demand at a later time. We attain a time-bandwidth product of 30 and show that, although in practice it is only limited by experimental constraints, there is virtually no upper theoretical limit. Our results open the path for designing resonant systems that are broadband and ultrafast, while simultaneously allowing long interaction times, thereby unleashing fundamentally new functionalities in wave physics and light-matter interactions.
Original languageEnglish
JournalArXiv e-prints
Publication statusSubmitted - 20 Mar 2019

Keywords

  • physics.optics

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