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Nonreciprocal universal photon blockade in an asymmetrical cavity

Xiuwen Xia1,2,3, Xinqin Zhang1,*, Xiaobing Luo4, Chaofei Liu5, Haozhen Li6, Jabir Hakami7, Jingping Xu2,3,†, and Yaping Yang2

  • 1Key Laboratory of Energy Conversion Optoelectronic Functional Materials of Jiangxi Education Institutes, School of Mathematics and Physics, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an 343009, China
  • 2MOE Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro-Structure Materials, School of Physics Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
  • 3Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Technology and Device, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Micro-Nano Quantum Chips and Quantum Control, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
  • 4Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Quantum State Control and Optical Field Manipulation, Department of Physics, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
  • 5School of Science, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, China
  • 6College of Communication Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China
  • 7Department of Physical Sciences, Physics Division, College of Science, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia

  • *Contact author: jgsuzxq@163.com
  • †Contact author: xx_jj_pp@hotmail.com
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Phys. Rev. A 113, 063729 – Published 18 June, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/v7jc-jsv5

Abstract

Inspired by the distinctive properties of universal photon blockade (UPB), we propose a two-photon Jaynes-Cummings model in an asymmetric cavity to achieve quantum nonreciprocity. Through theoretical analysis, we establish direction-dependent optimal conditions for perfect UPB in weak-driving limitation and subsequently validate these conditions through numerical solutions of the master equation. Our results demonstrate that in asymmetric cavities, the optimal atom-cavity coupling strength for UPB exhibits directionality, leading to a corresponding directional dependence in the equal-time second-order correlation function of the cavity field. This directional anisotropy enables remarkable photon statistics in the weak-coupling case: output photons display bunching in one propagation direction while manifesting antibunching in the opposite direction, thereby achieving giant nonreciprocal UPB. Our findings provide a framework for engineering robust quantum nonreciprocal effects, with promising applications in quantum information processing and optical communication systems.

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Phys. Rev. A 113, 063729– Published 18 June, 2026
  • Received 22 October 2025
  • Accepted 28 May 2026
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