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arXiv:1604.04259 · Physical Review A

Optical-nanofiber-based interface for single molecules

Sarah M. Skoff, David Papencordt, Hardy Schauffert, Bernhard C. Bayer, Arno Rauschenbeutel

Published Apr 17, 2018• 37 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Optical interfaces for quantum emitters are a prerequisite for implementing quantum networks. Here, we couple single molecules to the guided modes of an optical nanofiber. The molecules are embedded within a crystal that provides photostability and, due to the inhomogeneous broadening, a means to spectrally address single molecules. Single molecules are excited and detected solely via the nanofiber interface without the requirement of additional optical access. In this way, we realize a fully fiber-integrated system that is scalable and may become a versatile constituent for quantum hybrid systems.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.97.043839

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Optical interfaces for quantum emitters are a prerequisite for implementing quantum networks. Here, we couple single molecules to the guided modes of an optical nanofiber. The molecules are embedded within a crystal that provides photostability and, due to the inhomogeneous broadening, a means to spectrally address single molecules. Single molecules are excited and detected solely via the nanofiber interface without the requirement of additional optical access. In this way, we realize a fully fiber-integrated system that is scalable and may become a versatile constituent for quantum hybrid systems.
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Abstract We demonstrate a one-dimensional array of single atoms interfaced with an optical nanofiber (ONF) using optical tweezers. Single atoms are deterministically trapped in free space and along a 300 nm diameter ONF with tunable atom number and spacing. Atomic fluorescence is collected into guided modes for real-time detection. The guided fluorescence increases with the number of trapped atoms and shows dependence with inter-atomic spacing. This platform enables fiber-integrated quantum interface for quantum communication and scalable quantum networks.
Integrating the scalability of individually addressable arrays of optical-tweezer-trapped single atoms with the efficient light-matter interface provided by nanophotonic waveguides has been a long-standing challenge in quantum technologies based on atoms and photons. Here we realize a quantum interface between photons guided in an optical nanofiber with a diameter of 310 nm and an array of on average 155 individually addressable atoms. Using a spatial light modulator and an objective lens with NA = 0.45, single cesium atoms are trapped in a one-dimensional array of 200 optical tweezer spots with micrometer-scale trap sizes on the nanofiber. Individual atoms are addressed by spatially scanning an excitation laser beam, focused to a spot size comparable to that of the traps through the same objective lens, along the nanofiber. We confirm the single-atom nature of the individual trapping sites through photon-correlation measurements of the guided fluorescence, observing strong photon antibunching with g(2)(0)≈0.26g^{(2)}(0) \approx 0.26g(2)(0)≈0.26. We measure trap lifetimes of a few hundred milliseconds, with a maximum value of 460 ms, at an atom-surface separation of 670 nm without active cooling, representing an order-of-magnitude improvement over previous nanofiber traps. This platform opens a new regime for atom-photon interfaces, paving the way for scalable distributed quantum computing and quantum networks, as well as for the exploration of collective radiative effects in waveguide QED with individually addressable atoms.