Quantum Transport Theory for Photonic Networks

Abstract: In this paper, we develop a quantum transport theory to describe photonic transport in photonic networks. The photonic networks concerned in the paper consist of all-optical circuits incorporating photonic bandgap waveguides and driven resonators. The photonic transport flowing through waveguides are entirely determined from the exact master equation of the driven resonators. The master equation of the driven resonators is obtained by explicitly eliminating all the waveguide degrees of freedom while the back-reactions between resonators and waveguides are fully taken into account. The relations between the driven photonic dynamics and photocurrents are obtained. The non-Markovian memory structure and quantum coherence and decoherence effects in photonic transport are also fully included. This quantum transport theory unifies two fundamental nonequilibrium approaches, the Keldysh's nonequilibrium Green function technique and the Feynman-Vernon influence functional approach, together to make the investigation of the transient quantum photonic transport become more powerful. As an illustration, the theory is applied to the transport phenomena of a driven nanocavity coupled to two waveguides in photonic crystals. The controllability of photonic transport through the driven resonator is demonstrated.