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Optically Unstable Phase from Ion-Ion Interactions in an Erbium-Doped Crystal

Chen, Yu Hui ; Horvath, Sebastian P. LU ; Longdell, Jevon J. and Zhang, Xiangdong (2021) In Physical Review Letters 126(11).
Abstract

Optical many-body systems naturally possess strong light-matter interactions and are thus of central importance for photonic applications. However, these applications are so far limited within the regime of intrinsic dynamically stable phases, and the possibility of unstable phases remains unidentified. Here we experimentally revealed a new dynamical phase of intrinsic optical instability by using a continuous-wave laser to drive an erbium-doped crystal. The transmission through the sample became unstable for intense laser inputs, and transient net gain was observed if the light passed the sample twice. The phase transition, between states in and out of a dynamical equilibrium, was induced by the dipole-dipole interactions between... (More)

Optical many-body systems naturally possess strong light-matter interactions and are thus of central importance for photonic applications. However, these applications are so far limited within the regime of intrinsic dynamically stable phases, and the possibility of unstable phases remains unidentified. Here we experimentally revealed a new dynamical phase of intrinsic optical instability by using a continuous-wave laser to drive an erbium-doped crystal. The transmission through the sample became unstable for intense laser inputs, and transient net gain was observed if the light passed the sample twice. The phase transition, between states in and out of a dynamical equilibrium, was induced by the dipole-dipole interactions between nearby erbium ions.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Physical Review Letters
volume
126
issue
11
article number
110601
publisher
American Physical Society
external identifiers
  • pmid:33798373
  • scopus:85103109580
ISSN
0031-9007
DOI
10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.110601
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e472baa3-f7a8-44ba-b662-f5804c27c405
date added to LUP
2021-04-08 08:09:33
date last changed
2024-04-06 01:51:15
@article{e472baa3-f7a8-44ba-b662-f5804c27c405,
  abstract     = {{<p>Optical many-body systems naturally possess strong light-matter interactions and are thus of central importance for photonic applications. However, these applications are so far limited within the regime of intrinsic dynamically stable phases, and the possibility of unstable phases remains unidentified. Here we experimentally revealed a new dynamical phase of intrinsic optical instability by using a continuous-wave laser to drive an erbium-doped crystal. The transmission through the sample became unstable for intense laser inputs, and transient net gain was observed if the light passed the sample twice. The phase transition, between states in and out of a dynamical equilibrium, was induced by the dipole-dipole interactions between nearby erbium ions.</p>}},
  author       = {{Chen, Yu Hui and Horvath, Sebastian P. and Longdell, Jevon J. and Zhang, Xiangdong}},
  issn         = {{0031-9007}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{11}},
  publisher    = {{American Physical Society}},
  series       = {{Physical Review Letters}},
  title        = {{Optically Unstable Phase from Ion-Ion Interactions in an Erbium-Doped Crystal}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.110601}},
  doi          = {{10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.110601}},
  volume       = {{126}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}