Experimental demonstration of an intensity-resolved coherent Ising machine based on polarization symmetry breaking

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Quinn, Liam and Xu, Yiqing and Fatome, Julien and Oppo, Gian-Luca and Murdoch, Stuart G. and Erkintalo, Miro and Coen, Stéphane; (2025) Experimental demonstration of an intensity-resolved coherent Ising machine based on polarization symmetry breaking. In: 2025 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC). 2025 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC) . IEEE, DEU. ISBN 979-8-3315-1252-1 (https://doi.org/10.1109/cleo/europe-eqec65582.2025...)

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Abstract

Coherent Ising machines (CIMs) are optical devices that can offer efficient solutions to many complex combinatorial optimization problems too challenging to solve with traditional computing methods [1]–[3]. CIMs typically utilize networks of degenerate optical parametric oscillators, where the bistable phases of optical pulses represent spin states, and coupling is achieved through electronic measurement and feedback. While offering a powerful approach, exemplified by exceptional scaling [4], complex phase stabilization techniques make continuous operation of these machines quite challenging. Here, we provide an experimental demonstration of a novel CIM platform, with spin-states defined based on the polarization of optical pulses, and resolved with straightforward intensity measurements, leading to simple and robust operation [5]. The device is made up of a Kerr nonlinear optical fiber ring resonator synchronously-driven with multiple laser pulses. As the driving frequency is swept across a cavity resonance, each circulating pulse undergoes spontaneous polarization symmetry breaking, producing independent spin states. Crucially, we operate in a period-2 regime, where the polarization state of each intracavity pulse alternates at each roundtrip, imparting topological protection against external perturbations [6]. This guarantees highly robust performance, confirmed by high-fidelity all-optical random number generation [7].

ORCID iDs

Quinn, Liam, Xu, Yiqing, Fatome, Julien, Oppo, Gian-Luca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5376-4309, Murdoch, Stuart G., Erkintalo, Miro and Coen, Stéphane;
  • Item type:Book Section
    ID code:93921
    Dates:
    Date
    Event
    15 August 2025
    Published
    Subjects:Science > Physics
    Department:Faculty of Science > Physics
    Depositing user: Pure Administrator
    Date deposited:25 Aug 2025 12:34
    Last modified:03 Aug 2026 00:40
    URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/93921
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