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arXiv:1205.2741 · Physical Review A

Multiple image storage and frequency conversion in a cold atomic ensemble

Dong-Sheng Ding, Jinghui Wu, Zhi‐Yuan Zhou, Bao‐Sen Shi, Xu‐Bo Zou, Guang‐Can Guo

Published May 24, 2013• 31 citations
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Abstract

The strong demand for quantum memory, a key building block of quantum network, has inspired new methodologies and led to experimental progress for quantum storage. The use of quantum memory for spatial multimode or image storage could dramatically increase the channel bit rate. Furthermore, quantum memory that can store multiple optical modes would lead to higher efficiencies in quantum communication and computation. Here, by using resonant tripod electromagnetically induced transparency in a cold atomic ensemble, we experimentally demonstrate the storage of two probes with different frequencies and images in the frequency domain. In addition, by using different read light, we realize the frequency conversion of retrieved images with high efficiency. Besides, our method may be used to create a superposition of the images by realizing the function of a beam splitter. All advantages make our method useful in many fields, including quantum information, detection, imaging, sensing, and so on.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.87.053830

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The strong demand for quantum memory, a key building block of quantum network, has inspired new methodologies and led to experimental progress for quantum storage. The use of quantum memory for spatial multimode or image storage could dramatically increase the channel bit rate. Furthermore, quantum memory that can store multiple optical modes would lead to higher efficiencies in quantum communication and computation. Here, by using resonant tripod electromagnetically induced transparency in a cold atomic ensemble, we experimentally demonstrate the storage of two probes with different frequencies and images in the frequency domain. In addition, by using different read light, we realize the frequency conversion of retrieved images with high efficiency. Besides, our method may be used to create a superposition of the images by realizing the function of a beam splitter. All advantages make our method useful in many fields, including quantum information, detection, imaging, sensing, and so on.
Quantum memory is one of the key components constituting a quantum network. An important step towards the successful development of such a network is the storage of single photons. Encoding photons in high-dimensional photonic states can significantly increase the network's information-carrying capacity. Furthermore, quantum memories that are able to store multiple optical modes offer advantages over single-mode memories, in terms of both speed and capacity. However, a practical implementation of such a scheme for storing and retrieving multiple images at the single-photon level has not yet been achieved. Here, we provide experimental evidence that two spatial probe fields imprinted with a real image each can be stored and retrieved with good visibility and similarity at the single-photon level in a 85{}^{85}85Rb cold atomic ensemble, making use of electromagnetically induced transparency. Our results are very promising for the realization of a high-dimensional quantum network in the future.
Quantum memory is one of key ingredients consisting of quantum networks, therefore storing light at single photon level is an important step for realizing quantum networks. A photon, encoded in a high-dimensional state, can significantly increase the information capacity that a photon can carry. Furthermore, quantum memories with the ability to store multiple optical modes offer advantages in speed and robustness over single mode memories in quantum communication and computation. So far, there is no any report about the storage and retrieval of multiple mode images at single photon level. Here, we give a first experimental demonstration to our best knowledge, that two spatial probe fields at single photon level, each imprinted a real image, can be stored and retrieved with a considerable visibility and similarity through electromagnetically induced transparency in cold atomic ensemble. The accomplishment of multiple modes quantum image memory would move closer towards high dimensional quantum networks.
Quantum memories have been realized in different physical systems, such as atomic ensembles or solid systems. To date, all quantum memories have realized the storage and retrieval of photons encoded using only a two-dimensional space spanned, for example, by the orthogonal polarization states, and hence can only store a quantum bit. Using electromagnetically induced transparency in a cold atomic ensemble, we report the experimental realization of a quantum memory storing a photon encoded in a three-dimensional space spanned by orbital angular momentum (OAM) states. We experimentally reconstruct the storage process density matrix with a fidelity of 85.385.3%\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.8%85.3 using a 4-f imaging system. We also realize storage of two special photonic qutrit states as examples. Toward storing a higher-dimensional state encoded in OAM space, the efficiency difference between different OAM states should be considered according to the experimental results. The capability to store high-dimensional quantum states with high fidelity is a key step towards building high-dimensional quantum networks.
In this paper, an optical memory based on an ensemble of cold Cesium atoms interacting with light in the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) regime is studied in view of spatially multimode quantum storage. The interfacing protocol involves a control field, generating EIT for the very weak field that carries the quantum signal to be stored and enabling its mapping into the collective hyperfine coherence of the cold atomic ensemble. For the demonstration of multimode storage, the signal pulse at the single photon level is prepared in a mode with (OAM), while the control field is in a TEM00 mode. After the writing process, the information is kept in the memory register. In the retrieval phase, the information is read back from atoms to light and we show that these pulses at the single photon level with OAM can be stored and retrieved with a preserved spatial phase and a good efficiency.
A quantum memory is a key component for quantum networks, which will enable the distribution of quantum information. Its successful development requires storage of single-photon light. Encoding photons with spatial shape through higher-dimensional states significantly increases their information-carrying capability and network capacity. However, constructing such quantum memories is challenging. Here we report the first experimental realization of a true single-photon-carrying orbital angular momentum stored via electromagnetically induced transparency in a cold atomic ensemble. Our experiments show that the non-classical pair correlation between trigger photon and retrieved photon is retained, and the spatial structure of input and retrieved photons exhibits strong similarity. More importantly, we demonstrate that single-photon coherence is preserved during storage. The ability to store spatial structure at the single-photon level opens the possibility for high-dimensional quantum memories. Photonic quantum memories are necessary for quantum information networks and can be built using cold atomic gases. In this work, Ding et al. show the first storage and retrieval of single photons carrying orbital angular momentum using electromagnetically induced transparency in a cold rubidium ensemble.
Optical quantum memory plays an important role in scaling-up linear optical quantum computations and longdistance quantum communication. For effectively realizing such tasks, a long-lived and highly-efficient quantum memory is needed. The dynamic electromagnetically-induced-transparency (EIT) process can be used for completing an absorptive storage scheme in an atomic ensemble. In such a process, the quantum states of coming single photons can be coherently transformed into spin waves associated with coherences between atomic ground levels via switching off controlling light beam. For storing a single-mode optical signal, a pair of ground levels is involved. While for storing an optical polarization qubit, i.e., two orthogonal polarization modes, the coherence between two pairs of ground levels will be involved. Also, to obtain a high efficiency in the EIT optical storage, the optical-depth of the cold ensemble should be high. For prolonging the coherent time of the spin waves stored in atomic ensemble, decoherence between spin waves due to atomic motion and non-uniform Zeeman shift of ground levels should be effectively suppressed. Recently, a long-lived and highly-efficient optical quantum memory for single-mode storage in a high-optical-depth cold atom ensemble has been experimentally demonstrated via the gradient echo memory scheme (2016 Optical 3 100). While, for the optical polarization qubit storage, a long lifetime (in ms) and high-fidelity EIT storage experiment has been achieved by our group, but the storage efficiency in the experiment is very low (8%) due to lower optical depth of the cold ensemble (2013 Phys. Rev. Lett. 111 240503). The storage efficiency in long-lived storage of two orthogonal polarization modes still needs further improving. Here in this paper we demonstrate an experiment of long-lived and highly-efficient storage of two optical orthogonal polarization modes in a high optical-depth cold atomic ensemble via dynamic EIT process. For achieving a long lifetime in the storage experiment, we follow the two steps, which are used in our previous work (2013 Phys. Rev. Lett. 111 240503). 1) We make the signal and writing-reading light beams collinearly pass through the cold-atom cloud along the z direction to suppress the decoherence between the spin waves due to atomic motion. 2) We apply a moderate magnetic field (13.5 G) to the cold-atom ensemble to lift Zeeman degeneracy. So, the magnetic-field-sensitive transitions are removed from EIT system and the two optical orthogonal polarization modes are stored as two magnetic-field-insensitive spin waves. In contrast to our previous experiment, we finish the storage in the high optical-depth cold atomic ensemble. To obtain such a high optical-depth cold atomic ensemble, we expand the diameters of the trapping laser beams and use a pair of rectangular magnetic coils in a magnetic optical trap (MOT) to prepare a cigar-shaped cold atomic ensemble. The MOT magnetic field is further compressed, and then the optical-depth of the cold atomic ensemble increases up to ~11 in the present experiment, which allows us to achieve a storage efficiency of 30%, which exceeds the previous value (8%). At an MOT repetition rate of 10 Hz, the measured zero-delay storage efficiencies for the two orthogonal polarization modes are symmetric, which go up to ~30%. The 1/e-folding lifetimes of the two orthogonal polarization modes rise up to 3 ms. We also measure the dependence of the zero-delay retrieval efficiency on the MOT repetition rate F and find that the storage efficiency is still more than 20% when the repetition rate F is 50 Hz. The present results will allow one to achieve a long lifetime and highly-efficient quantum memory for photonic polarization qubit and then find applications in scaling-up linear-optical quantum computations and long-distance quantum communication.