Overview
A new optical fiber has been developed that exhibits heightened coupling between light and sound waves. This fiber, created by freezing a liquid within a glass capillary, guides both types of waves simultaneously. The observed coupling strength is significantly higher, by a factor of 1,000, than that found in conventional glass fibers. This enhanced coupling is indicated to lower energy consumption for photonic neuromorphic computing schemes and quantum signal processing applications.
Approach
The development involved a specific manufacturing process: a glass capillary was filled with a liquid, which was subsequently frozen. This method resulted in the creation of an optical fiber capable of co-propagating light and sound waves.
Findings
- The developed frozen-liquid-core fiber guides both optical (light) and acoustic (sound) waves concurrently.
- The coupling between light and sound waves within this fiber is approximately 1,000 times stronger compared to the coupling observed in standard glass fibers.
Why This Matters
The high coupling strength achieved by this new fiber leads to a reduction in energy consumption for photonic neuromorphic computing schemes. Additionally, it offers a similar benefit for quantum signal processing applications, reducing their energy requirements by several orders of magnitude.