Nonlinear atomic tunnelling boosted by bright squeezed vacuum
6 affiliations
- 1State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- 2State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China. [email protected]
- 3State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China. [email protected]
- 4Chongqing Key Laboratory of Precision Optics, Chongqing Institute of East China Normal University, Chongqing, China. [email protected]
- 5Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China. [email protected]
- 6State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China. [email protected]
Abstract
Nonlinear optical processes, mediated by multiphoton interactions rather than single-photon response, are routinely exploited to enable a range of light-based functionalities in devices and applications. Nonlinear effects are enhanced by higher-intensity fields, which is a limiting strategy owing to potential radiation damage. An alternative strategy relies on the fluctuation redistribution typical of quantum light1–4, but experimental demonstrations at the most fundamental level have been limited. Here we report experimental nonlinear tunnelling ionization of isolated atoms, a pivotal nonlinear process that drives high-harmonic generation and forms the basis of attosecond science, boosted by quantum light—bright squeezed vacuum (BSV). A BSV light with an average pulse energy of 300 nJ achieves an effective intensity equivalent to that of a coherent light with 7.1 μJ, demonstrating a more than 20-fold quantum boost in the nonlinear effect from BSV light. This boost is revealed by matching the peaks of the photoelectron momentum spectra produced by the BSV and coherent light as measured by angular streaking. Furthermore, we demonstrate control of the effective intensity of the BSV by tuning the correlation function at fixed average pulse energy, establishing a robust method to tailor nonlinear processes by quantum statistics rather than classical intensity scaling. These findings may facilitate the development of quantum-controlled strong-field dynamics using tailored quantum light sources. Bright squeezed vacuum light boosts nonlinear atomic tunnelling ionization more than 20-fold compared with coherent light, enabling quantum control of strong-field processes without increasing classical intensity.
Related
- UNWRAP: Single-shot phase analysis of bright squeezed vacuum by Newton-ring interferometry
- Photoelectrons resolve the phase-dependent variance of bright squeezed vacuum
- Quantum tomography of bright squeezed vacuum via strong-field ionization
- High-order correlations and ultrafast Wigner negativities in bright-squeezed-vacuum-driven high-harmonic generation
- Emergence of Gaussian entanglement and non-Gaussianity in high-harmonic generation driven by bright squeezed light
BibTeX
@article{jiang2026nonlinear,
title = {{Nonlinear atomic tunnelling boosted by bright squeezed vacuum}},
author = {Zhejun Jiang and Shengzhe Pan and J C Chen and Mingyu Zhu and Chenhao Zhao and Yue Wang and Ru Zhang and Jianshi Lu and Lulu Han and Suwen Xiong and Dian Wu and Wenxue Li and Shicheng Jiang and Hongcheng Ni and Jian Wu},
journal = {Nature},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.1038/s41586-026-10485-9},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10485-9},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Nonlinear atomic tunnelling boosted by bright squeezed vacuum
AU - Zhejun Jiang
AU - Shengzhe Pan
AU - J C Chen
AU - Mingyu Zhu
AU - Chenhao Zhao
AU - Yue Wang
AU - Ru Zhang
AU - Jianshi Lu
AU - Lulu Han
AU - Suwen Xiong
AU - Dian Wu
AU - Wenxue Li
AU - Shicheng Jiang
AU - Hongcheng Ni
AU - Jian Wu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/20
JO - Nature
DO - 10.1038/s41586-026-10485-9
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10485-9
AB - Nonlinear optical processes, mediated by multiphoton interactions rather than single-photon response, are routinely exploited to enable a range of light-based functionalities in devices and applications. Nonlinear effects are enhanced by higher-intensity fields, which is a limiting strategy owing to potential radiation damage. An alternative strategy relies on the fluctuation redistribution typical of quantum light1–4, but experimental demonstrations at the most fundamental level have been limited. Here we report experimental nonlinear tunnelling ionization of isolated atoms, a pivotal nonlinear process that drives high-harmonic generation and forms the basis of attosecond science, boosted by quantum light—bright squeezed vacuum (BSV). A BSV light with an average pulse energy of 300 nJ achieves an effective intensity equivalent to that of a coherent light with 7.1 μJ, demonstrating a more than 20-fold quantum boost in the nonlinear effect from BSV light. This boost is revealed by matching the peaks of the photoelectron momentum spectra produced by the BSV and coherent light as measured by angular streaking. Furthermore, we demonstrate control of the effective intensity of the BSV by tuning the correlation function at fixed average pulse energy, establishing a robust method to tailor nonlinear processes by quantum statistics rather than classical intensity scaling. These findings may facilitate the development of quantum-controlled strong-field dynamics using tailored quantum light sources. Bright squeezed vacuum light boosts nonlinear atomic tunnelling ionization more than 20-fold compared with coherent light, enabling quantum control of strong-field processes without increasing classical intensity.
SN - 0028-0836
SN - 1476-4687
ER -