All-Optical Switching and Router via the Direct Quantum Control of Coupling between Cavity Modes

Abstract

Classical optical communication and quantum information processing based on photonic networks require photonics signals to be switched on and off or routed via optical cavities and waveguides in the networks. Large-bandwidth and nearly perfect switching as well as low-loss, multiport routing remains challenging. A new proposal achieves these goals, relying on controlling the coupling between two neighboring cavities in a transmission path with a three-level atomic scatter of photons.