Quantum-Boosted Nonlinear Tunneling Driven by a Bright Squeezed Vacuum

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2604.05783v1
• Date: Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:20:49 GMT
• Title: Quantum-Boosted Nonlinear Tunneling Driven by a Bright Squeezed Vacuum
• Abstract summary: tunneling ionization plays a pivotal role as it drives high-harmonic generation.<n>Quantum light, with its unique capacity for quantum noise redistribution, offers a transformative solution to boost nonlinear responses.<n>We report the first experiment of nonlinear tunneling ionization of the most fundamental system of atoms boosted by a quantum light.
• Score: 21.147212401316636
• License: http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/
• Abstract: Nonlinear processes, mediated by multiphoton interactions rather than single-photon response, drive numerous fundamental phenomena and momentous applications in modern physics. Among these processes, tunneling ionization plays a pivotal role as it drives high-harmonic generation, forming the basis of attosecond science and enabling the visualization and control of electron motion at its natural time scale. Quantum light, with its unique capacity for quantum noise redistribution, offers a transformative solution to boost nonlinear responses. Here, we report the first experiment of nonlinear tunneling ionization of the most fundamental system of atoms boosted by a quantum light -- bright squeezed vacuum (BSV). Remarkably, the tunneling ionization of a single sodium atom induced by a 300 nJ BSV beam matches that achieved with a 7.1 {\textmu}J coherent light source, demonstrating a dramatic boost in nonlinear efficiency from phase-squeezed quantum light. Moreover, the effective intensity of the BSV light and thus the boosted tunneling ionization can be precisely controlled by tuning the degree of phase squeezing while maintaining the average pulse energy. These findings provide fundamental insights into quantum-boosted nonlinear effect and pave the way for efficient frequency conversion and quantum-controlled molecular reactions using tailored quantum light sources.

Related papers

• The Darkfield Approach to Measuring Vacuum Birefringence and Light-by-Light Couplings -- A Proof-of-Principle Experiment [47.269836510794505]
  nonlinear vacuum response is very small even when probing a tightly focused high-intensity laser field with XFEL radiation.<n>We present the results of a proof-of-principle experiment validating this approach at the High Energy Density scientific instrument of the European X-Ray Free Electron Laser.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-06-13T10:23:55Z)
• How single-photon nonlinearity is quenched with multiple quantum emitters: Quantum Zeno effect in collective interactions with $\Lambda$-level atoms [49.1574468325115]
  We show that the single-photon nonlinearity vanishes with the number of emitters. The mechanism behind this behavior is the quantum Zeno effect, manifested in the slowdown of the photon-controlled dynamics.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2024-01-13T06:55:18Z)
• All-optical modulation with single-photons using electron avalanche [66.27103948750306]
  We demonstrate all-optical modulation enabled by electron avalanche process in silicon.<n>Our approach opens the possibility of gigahertz-speed, and potentially even faster, optical switching at the single-photon level.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-12-18T20:14:15Z)
• Coherent anharmonicity transfer from matter to light in the THz regime [0.0]
  We introduce an infrared cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED) approach for imprinting nonlinear phase shifts on individual THz pulses. Power-dependent phase shifts on the order of $ 0.1, pi$ can be achieved with femtosecond pulses of only a few $mu$W input power.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-09-21T16:16:40Z)
• Quantum correlated photons via a passive nonlinear microcavity [1.0753191494611891]
  We create non-classical photon correlations, including photon anti-bunching, via a passive InGaP photonic integrated circuit. Our work opens a new route in controlling quantum light by harnessing highly-engineerable bulk optical nonlinearities.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-04-23T15:02:36Z)
• Quantum vortices of strongly interacting photons [52.131490211964014]
  Vortices are hallmark of nontrivial dynamics in nonlinear physics. We report on the realization of quantum vortices resulting from a strong photon-photon interaction in a quantum nonlinear optical medium. For three photons, the formation of vortex lines and a central vortex ring attests to a genuine three-photon interaction.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-02-12T18:11:04Z)
• Probing the symmetry breaking of a light--matter system by an ancillary qubit [50.591267188664666]
  Hybrid quantum systems in the ultrastrong, and even more in the deep-strong, coupling regimes can exhibit exotic physical phenomena. We experimentally observe the parity symmetry breaking of an ancillary Xmon artificial atom induced by the field of a lumped-element superconducting resonator. This result opens a way to experimentally explore the novel quantum-vacuum effects emerging in the deep-strong coupling regime.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-09-13T06:14:08Z)
• Many-body cavity quantum electrodynamics with driven inhomogeneous emitters [2.745127037087037]
  We study how a large, inhomogeneously broadened ensemble of solid-state emitters coupled with high cooperativity to a nanophotonic resonator behaves under strong excitation. We discover a sharp, collectively induced transparency (CIT) in the cavity reflection spectrum, resulting from quantum interference and collective response induced by the interplay between driven inhomogeneous emitters and cavity photons. These phenomena in the many-body cQED regime enable new mechanisms for achieving slow light and frequency referencing, pave a way towards solid-state superradiant lasers and inform the development of ensemble-based quantum interconnects.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-08-08T18:06:08Z)
• Three-photon excitation of quantum two-level systems [0.0]
  We demonstrate that semiconductor quantum dots can be excited efficiently in a resonant three-photon process. Time-dependent Floquet theory is used to quantify the strength of the multi-photon processes. We exploit this technique to probe intrinsic properties of InGaN quantum dots.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-02-04T09:20:24Z)
• Efficient single-photon pair generation by spontaneous parametric down-conversion in nonlinear plasmonic metasurfaces [0.0]
  Spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) is one of the most versatile nonlinear optical techniques for the generation of entangled and correlated single-photon pairs. Here we propose a plasmonic metasurface design based on silver nanostripes combined with a bulk lithium niobate (LiNbO3) crystal to realize a new scalable, ultrathin, and efficient SPDC source.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2021-11-18T15:31:38Z)
• Topologically Protecting Squeezed Light on a Photonic Chip [58.71663911863411]
  Integrated photonics offers an elegant way to increase the nonlinearity by confining light strictly inside the waveguide. We experimentally demonstrate the topologically protected nonlinear process of spontaneous four-wave mixing enabling the generation of squeezed light on a silica chip.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2021-06-14T13:39:46Z)

This list is automatically generated from the titles and abstracts of the papers in this site.

This site does not guarantee the quality of this site (including all information) and is not responsible for any consequences.