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Chaos

Enhanced energy storage in chaotic optical resonators

In a paper published in Nature Photonics, in collaboration with researchers in KAUST (Saudi Arabia), York (UK) and Bologna (Italy) we demonstrated that chaotic resonators trap broadband light more efficiently than standard ones. The fabrication of microcavities for monochromatic light is a routine procedure in photonics. The ability to trap light efficiently for long times and in small volumes depends on how well engineered are the channels through which light is in- and out-coupled. For multimodal cavities, different wavelengths are supported by different resonant conditions and typically require specifically tuned channels. This limits the ability to transfer broadband light into a standard resonator. Here we… Read More »Enhanced energy storage in chaotic optical resonators

Storm In A Chip

In a study published in Nature Physics, in collaboration with researchers from KAUST (SA), York University (UK), and AMOLF (NL), we developed an optical chip to create and control optical waves. In nature, these rare events result from the spontaneous build up of a large amount of energy, normally in a ‘quiet’ state, and can have disastrous effects. The team began research by developing new theoretical ideas to explain the formation of rare energetic natural events such as rogue waves, large surface waves that develop out of the blue in deep water and represent a potential risk for vessels and open-ocean oil platforms. Specifically we linked… Read More »Storm In A Chip

Superradiance in chaotic resonators

In collaboration with KAUST we demonstrated that a chaotic quantum resonator can be used to study the onset of superradiance, as predicted by Dicke. According to this theory, two-level atoms immersed in a common radiation field can synchronise and  emit energy at a rate faster than that predicted by incoherent spontaneous emission. Experimental demonstration of this theory have so far proven elusive due to the requirement on the coupling strength of the states. Our system, based on photonic crystal resonators with controlled loss channels, mimics the dynamics of an open many-body system and permits to explore experimentally a regime with favourable coupling strength between the… Read More »Superradiance in chaotic resonators