Cavity-Enhanced Optical Manipulation of Antiferromagnetic Magnon-Pairs

Abstract: The optical manipulation of magnon states in antiferromagnets (AFMs) holds significant potential for advancing AFM-based computing devices. In particular, two-magnon Raman scattering processes are known to generate entangled magnon-pairs with opposite momenta. We propose to harness the dynamical backaction of a driven optical cavity coupled to these processes, to obtain steady states of squeezed magnon-pairs, represented by squeezed Perelomov coherent states. The system's dynamics can be controlled by the strength and detuning of the optical drive and by the cavity losses. In the limit of a fast (or lossy) cavity, we obtain an effective equation of motion in the Perelomov representation, in terms of a light-induced frequency shift and a collective induced dissipation which sign can be controlled by the detuning of the drive. In the red-detuned regime, a critical power threshold defines a region where magnon-pair operators exhibit squeezing, a resource for quantum information, marked by distinct attractor points. Beyond this threshold, the system evolves to limit cycles of magnon-pairs. In contrast, for resonant and blue detuning regimes, the magnon-pair dynamics exhibit limit cycles and chaotic phases, respectively, for low and high pump powers. Observing strongly squeezed states, auto-oscillating limit cycles, and chaos in this platform presents promising opportunities for future quantum information processing, communication developments, and materials studies.