Avik Dutt and his research team explore synthetic dimensions

New work by UMD assistant professor Avik Dutt (Mechanical Engineering/Institute for Physical Science and Technology) and researchers at his FearLess Optics, Quantum Engineering and Technology Lab, proposes a way to work with multidimensionality using more modest speeds and simpler equipment.

In a paper published in Nature Physics, Dutt and his research team demonstrate that a potentially infinite number of synthetic dimensions can be created by manipulating the energies of a photonic molecule. Just as a hydrogen molecule (H2) is formed by coupling two hydrogen atoms, a photonic molecule is formed by coupling two optical ring resonators—the two “atoms”. Each ring resonator, in turn, is made up of a transparent material such as a silica optical fiber or a silicon wire looped back on itself. By doing so, the team found that energy could be converted readily to different driving frequencies. 

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