Quantum chaos and geodesics: towards non-euclidean photonics
Mélanie Lebental (LUMIN)
Onsite seminar + zoom (Meeting ID: 984 4152 4540, Passcode: p5WA0A).
Quantum chaos is a research field dedicated to semiclassical physics [1,2], i.e. the relationship
between a quantum system and its classical counterpart. The predictions are investigated in
any wave system, namely quantum, acoustics, microwaves, optics,… Microlasers are a good platform to implement the predictions of quantum chaos. Reciprocally, semi-classical physics provides efficient theoretical tools to optimize photonic devices, in particular the « trace formula » which describes the spectrum as a sum over periodic classical trajectories. I will review some of these results [3] and discuss on-going works on bifurcation theory and the corresponding microlaser experiments.
Recently it became possible to fabricate three-dimensionnal (3D) microlasers with high optical
quality by direct laser writing [4], in particular curved surface-like microlasers, leading to
the emerging domain of non-Euclidean photonics. Actually, the shortest path between
two points within a curved surface is not the straight line anymore, but is called a « geodesic ».
The corresponding trace formula should then be a sum over periodic geodesics. We checked this hypothesis with Möbius strip microlasers and provided experimental and numerical evidences that the laser modes were indeed located along periodic geodesics [5].
[1] M. Brack and R. K. Bhaduri, Semiclassical physics, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company (1997).
[2] H.-J. Stöckmann, Quantum chaos, an introduction, Cambridge University Press (1999).
[3] A. Pascal, A. Pascal, S. Bittner, B. Dietz, A. Trabattoni, C. Ulysse, M. Romanelli,
M. Brunel, J. Zyss, and M. Lebental,
Waves and rays in plano-concave laser cavities, Part II: a semiclassical approach,
European Journal of Physics, vol. 38, 034011 (2017).
[4] M. A. Guidry, Y. Song, C. Lafargue, R. Sobczyk, D. Decanini, S. Bittner, B. Dietz,
L. Huang, J. Zyss, A. Grigis, and M. Lebental,
Three-dimensional micro-billiard lasers: The square pyramid,
Europhysics Letters, vol. 126, 64004 (2019).
[5] Yalei Song, Y. Monceaux, S. Bittner, Kimhong Chao, H. M. Reynoso de la Cruz,
C. Lafargue, D. Decanini, B. Dietz, J. Zyss, A. Grigis, X. Checoury, and M. Lebental,
Möbius Strip Microlasers: A Testbed for Non-Euclidean Photonics
Phys. Rev. Lett. vol. 127, 203901 (2021).