Metriplectic Structure of a Radiation-Matter-Interaction Toy Model.

A dynamical system defined by a metriplectic structure is a dissipative model characterized by a specific pair of tensors, which defines a Leibniz bracket; and a free energy, formed by a "Hamiltonian" and an entropy, playing the role of dynamics generator. Generally, these tensors are a Poisson bracket tensor, describing the Hamiltonian part of the dynamics, and a symmetric metric tensor, that models purely dissipative dynamics. In this paper, the metriplectic system describing a simplified two-photon absorption by a two-level atom is disclosed. The Hamiltonian component is sufficient to describe the free electromagnetic radiation. The metric component encodes the radiation-matter coupling, driving the system to an asymptotically stable state in which the excited level of the atom is populated due to absorption, and the radiation has disappeared. First, a description of the system is used, based on the real-imaginary decomposition of the electromagnetic field phasor; then, the whole metriplectic system is re-written in terms of the phase-amplitude pair, named Madelung variables. This work is intended as a first result to pave the way for applying the metriplectic formalism to many other irreversible processes in nonlinear optics.

Topological nanophotonics and artificial neural networks.

We propose the use of artificial neural networks to design and characterize photonic topological insulators. As a hallmark, the band structures of these systems show the key feature of the emergence of edge states, with energies lying within the energy gap of the bulk materials and localized at the boundary between regions of distinct topological invariants. We consider different structures such as one-dimensional photonic crystals, [Formula: see text]-symmetric chains and cylindrical systems and show how, through a machine learning application, one can identify the parameters of a complex topological insulator to obtain protected edge states at target frequencies. We show how artificial neural networks can be used to solve the long-standing quest for a solution to inverse problems solution and apply this to the cutting edge topic of topological nanophotonics.

Theory of Neuromorphic Computing by Waves: Machine Learning by Rogue Waves, Dispersive Shocks, and Solitons.

We study artificial neural networks with nonlinear waves as a computing reservoir. We discuss universality and the conditions to learn a dataset in terms of output channels and nonlinearity. A feed-forward three-layered model, with an encoding input layer, a wave layer, and a decoding readout, behaves as a conventional neural network in approximating mathematical functions, real-world datasets, and universal Boolean gates. The rank of the transmission matrix has a fundamental role in assessing the learning abilities of the wave. For a given set of training points, a threshold nonlinearity for universal interpolation exists. When considering the nonlinear Schrödinger equation, the use of highly nonlinear regimes implies that solitons, rogue, and shock waves do have a leading role in training and computing. Our results may enable the realization of novel machine learning devices by using diverse physical systems, as nonlinear optics, hydrodynamics, polaritonics, and Bose-Einstein condensates. The application of these concepts to photonics opens the way to a large class of accelerators and new computational paradigms. In complex wave systems, as multimodal fibers, integrated optical circuits, random, topological devices, and metasurfaces, nonlinear waves can be employed to perform computation and solve complex combinatorial optimization.

Programming multi-level quantum gates in disordered computing reservoirs via machine learning.

Novel machine learning computational tools open new perspectives for quantum information systems. Here we adopt the open-source programming library TensorFlow to design multi-level quantum gates, including a computing reservoir represented by a random unitary matrix. In optics, the reservoir is a disordered medium or a multi-modal fiber. We show that trainable operators at the input and the readout enable one to realize multi-level gates. We study various qudit gates, including the scaling properties of the algorithms with the size of the reservoir. Despite an initial low slop learning stage, TensorFlow turns out to be an extremely versatile resource for designing gates with complex media, including different models that use spatial light modulators with quantized modulation levels.

Anisotropic Optical Shock Waves in Isotropic Media with Giant Nonlocal Nonlinearity.

Dispersive shock waves in thermal optical media are nonlinear phenomena whose intrinsic irreversibility is described by time asymmetric quantum mechanics. Recent studies demonstrated that the nonlocal wave breaking evolves in an exponentially decaying dynamics ruled by the reversed harmonic oscillator, namely, the simplest irreversible quantum system in the rigged Hilbert spaces. The generalization of this theory to more complex scenarios is still an open question. In this work, we use a thermal third-order medium with an unprecedented giant Kerr coefficient, the m-cresol/nylon mixed solution, to access an extremely nonlinear, highly nonlocal regime and realize anisotropic shock waves with internal gaps. We compare our experimental observations to results obtained under similar conditions but in hemoglobin solutions from human red blood cells, and found that the gap formation strongly depends on the nonlinearity strength. We prove that a superposition of Gamow vectors in an ad hoc rigged Hilbert space, that is, a tensorial product between the reversed and the standard harmonic oscillators spaces, describes the beam propagation beyond the shock point. The anisotropy turns out from the interaction of trapping and antitrapping potentials. Our work furnishes the description of novel intriguing shock phenomena mediated by extreme nonlinearities.

Topological control of extreme waves.

From optics to hydrodynamics, shock and rogue waves are widespread. Although they appear as distinct phenomena, transitions between extreme waves are allowed. However, these have never been experimentally observed because control strategies are still missing. We introduce the new concept of topological control based on the one-to-one correspondence between the number of wave packet oscillating phases and the genus of toroidal surfaces associated with the nonlinear Schrödinger equation solutions through Riemann theta functions. We demonstrate the concept experimentally by reporting observations of supervised transitions between waves with different genera. Considering the box problem in a focusing photorefractive medium, we tailor the time-dependent nonlinearity and dispersion to explore each region in the state diagram of the nonlinear wave propagation. Our result is the first realization of topological control of nonlinear waves. This new technique casts light on shock and rogue waves generation and can be extended to other nonlinear phenomena.

Physical realization of the Glauber quantum oscillator.

More than thirty years ago Glauber suggested that the link between the reversible microscopic and the irreversible macroscopic world can be formulated in physical terms through an inverted harmonic oscillator describing quantum amplifiers. Further theoretical studies have shown that the paradigm for irreversibility is indeed the reversed harmonic oscillator. As outlined by Glauber, providing experimental evidence of these idealized physical systems could open the way to a variety of fundamental studies, for example to simulate irreversible quantum dynamics and explain the arrow of time. However, supporting experimental evidence of reversed quantized oscillators is lacking. We report the direct observation of exploding n = 0 and n = 2 discrete states and Γ0 and Γ2 quantized decay rates of a reversed harmonic oscillator generated by an optical photothermal nonlinearity. Our results give experimental validation to the main prediction of irreversible quantum mechanics, that is, the existence of states with quantized decay rates. Our results also provide a novel perspective to optical shock-waves, potentially useful for applications as lasers, optical amplifiers, white-light and X-ray generation.