Transparent Perfect Mirror

Keywords

Fabry-Pérot cavity; multiple quantum well; non-Hermitian photonics; optical gain; Poynting’s vector; semiconductor optical amplifier

Abstract

A mirror that reflects light fully and yet is transparent appears paradoxical. Current so-called transparent or “one-way” mirrors are not perfectly reflective and thus can be distinguished from a standard mirror. Constructing a transparent “perfect” mirror has profound implications for security, privacy, and camouflage. However, such a hypothetical device cannot be implemented in a passive structure. We demonstrate here a transparent perfect mirror in a non-Hermitian configuration: an active optical cavity where a certain prelasing gain extinguishes Poynting’s vector at the device entrance. At this threshold, all vestiges of the cavity’s structural resonances are eliminated and the device presents spectrally flat unity-reflectivity, thus, becoming indistinguishable from a perfect mirror when probed optically across the gain bandwidth. Nevertheless, the device is rendered transparent by virtue of persisting amplified transmission resonances. We confirm these predictions in two photonic realizations: a compact integrated active waveguide and a macroscopic all-optical-fiber system.

Publication Date

5-17-2017

Publication Title

ACS Photonics

Volume

4

Issue

5

Number of Pages

1026-1032

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1021/acsphotonics.7b00052

Socpus ID

85019640784 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85019640784

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