Nonlinear quantum noise polarization in macroscopic nonlinear QED

Abstract:We construct a quantum theory of light in nonlinearly responding materials with dispersion and absorption and, in particular, show the emergence of non-Gaussian noise associated with nonlinear absorption processes. Our theory is based on a path-integral formulation of the microscopic Huttner-Barnett model including cubic matter self-interaction required for $\chi^{(2)}$ nonlinear processes. We show that the noise polarization emerges naturally from a decoupling of the stochastic weights of the bath response which, in case of cubic self-interactions, leads to a decoupling via Airy functions. As the theory is, by construction, consistent with the nonlinear fluctuation-dissipation theorem, it constitutes a viable quantum theory of light in nonlinear media.

arXiv:2610.31406 [quant-ph]

(or arXiv:2610.31406v1 [quant-ph] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2610.31406 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)

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