Localization and time-reversal of light through dynamic modulation

Abstract

We study the dynamics of a waveguide made of coupled resonators with a sinusoidal modulation of the resonance frequencies. We present a modulation scheme that achieves complete dynamic localization and is experimentally suitable for optical cavities. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of the way the modulation is turned on and off. One striking consequence is that, while a state returns to its starting amplitude at the end of every cycle, it can also be fully time-reversed if the modulation is turned off mid-cycle. Finally, we show that localization is always achieved when the modulation envelope is adiabatic with respect to the oscillation frequency. The results are experimentally feasible using existing integrated photonic technologies, and are relevant to applications like tunable delay lines, dispersion compensation, and imaging.