Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1801.10555 · New Journal of Physics

Generation of ideal thermal light in warm atomic vapor

Jaromír Mika, Lukáš Podhora, Lukáš Lachman, Petr Obšil, Josef Hloušek, Miroslav Ježek, Radim Filip, L. Slodička

Published Aug 23, 2018• 16 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We present the experimental generation of light with directly observable close-to-ideal thermal statistical properties. The thermal light state is prepared using a spontaneous Raman emission in a warm atomic vapor. The photon number statistics are evaluated by both the measurement of second-order correlation function and by the detailed analysis of the corresponding photon number distribution, which certifies the quality of the Bose–Einstein statistics generated by a natural physical mechanism. We further demonstrate the extension of the spectral bandwidth of the generated light to hundreds of MHz domain while keeping the ideal thermal statistics, which suggests a direct applicability of the presented source in a broad range of applications including optical metrology, tests of robustness of quantum communication protocols, or quantum thermodynamics.

DOI
10.1088/1367-2630/aadc9d

Related papers

High nonclassical correlations of large-bandwidth photon pairs generated in warm atomic vapor

J Mika, L. Slodička

Abstract Generation of nonclassical light suitable for interaction with atoms corresponds to a crucial goal pursued across the broad quantum optics community. We present the generation of nonclassical photon pairs using the process of spontaneous four-wave mixing in warm atomic vapor with an unprecedentedly high degree of nonclassical photon correlations. We show how the unique combination of excitation of atoms in the proximity of the vapor cell viewport, single excitation laser beam, double-Λ energy level scheme, auxiliary optical pumping, and particular optical filtering setups, allow for the spectral bandwidth of generated nonclassical light fields of up to 560 ± 20 MHz and low two-photon noise. We provide a quantitative analysis of particular noise mechanisms which set technological and fundamental limits on the observable photon correlations. The overall technological simplicity of the presented scheme together with the availability of spectrally matched quantum memories implementable with warm atomic vapors promises the feasibility of realization of GHz bandwidth on-demand nonclassical light sources and efficient quantum communication nodes.

arXiv:2103.09525•Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•Apr 6, 2020•18 citations

Nonclassical photon pairs from warm atomic vapor using a single driving laser

Lukáš Podhora, Petr Obšil, Ivo Straka +2 more

Generation of nonclassical light is an essential tool for quantum optics research and applications in quantum information technology. We present realization of the source of nonclassically correlated photon pairs based on the process of spontaneous four-wave-mixing in warm atomic vapor. Atoms are excited only by a single laser beam in retro-reflected configuration and narrowband frequency filtering is employed for selection of correlated photon pairs. Nonclassicality of generated light fields is proved by analysis of their statistical properties. Measured parameters of the presented source promise further applicability for efficient interaction with atomic ensembles.

arXiv:1712.00506•Optics Express•Nov 30, 2017•17 citations

Single-mode quantum non-Gaussian light from warm atoms

Jaromír Mika, Lukáš Lachman, Tomas Lamich +2 more

Abstract The distributed quantum information processing and hybridization of quantum platforms raises increasing demands on the quality of light-matter interaction and realization of efficient quantum interfaces. This becomes particularly challenging for needed states possessing fundamental quantum non-Gaussian (QNG) aspects. They correspond to paramount resources in most potent applications of quantum technologies. We demonstrate the generation of light with provably QNG features from a warm atomic ensemble in a single-mode regime. The light is generated in a spontaneous four-wave mixing process in the presence of decoherence effects caused by a large atomic thermal motion. Despite its high sensitivity to any excess noise, direct observability of heralded QNG light could be achieved due to a combination of a fast resonant excitation, large spectral bandwidth, and a low absorption loss of resonant photons guaranteed by the source geometry.

npj Quantum Information•Oct 25, 2022•9 citations

Single-mode Quantum Non-Gaussian Light from Warm Atoms

Jaromír Mika, Lukáš Lachman, Tomas Lamich +2 more

The distributed quantum information processing and hybridization of quantum platforms raises increasing demands on the quality of light-matter interaction and realization of efficient quantum interfaces. This becomes particularly challenging for needed states possessing fundamental quantum non-Gaussian (QNG) aspects. They correspond to paramount resources in most potent applications of quantum technologies. We demonstrate the generation of light with provably QNG features from a tunable warm atomic ensemble in a single-mode regime. The light is generated in a spontaneous four-wave mixing process in the presence of decoherence effects caused by a large atomic thermal motion. Despite its high sensitivity to any excess noise, a direct observability of heralded QNG light could be achieved due to a combination of a fast resonant excitation, large spectral bandwidth, and a low absorption loss of resonant photons guaranteed by the source geometry.

arXiv:2201.05366•Jan 14, 2022•1 citation

Storage and retrieval of thermal light in warm atomic vapor

Young‐Wook Cho, Yoon Ho Kim

We report slowed propagation and storage and retrieval of thermal light in warm rubidium vapor using the effect of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). We first demonstrate slowed propagation of the probe thermal light beam through an EIT medium by measuring the second-order correlation function of the light field using the Hanbury-Brown-Twiss interferometer. We also report an experimental study on the effect of the EIT slow-light medium on the temporal coherence of thermal light. Finally, we demonstrate the storage and retrieval of the thermal light beam in the EIT medium. The direct measurement of the photon number statistics of the retrieved light field shows that the photon number statistics are preserved during the storage and retrieval processes.

arXiv:0910.0074•Physical Review A•Sep 24, 2010•33 citations

Photon-number-resolved detection of photon-subtracted thermal light

Yanhua Zhai, F. E. Becerra, Boris L. Glebov +7 more

We examine the photon statistics of photon-subtracted thermal light using photon-number-resolved detection. We demonstrate experimentally that the photon number distribution transforms from a Bose-Einstein distribution to a Poisson distribution as the number of subtracted photons increases. We also show that second- and higher-order photon correlation functions can be directly determined from the photon-number-resolved detection measurements of a single optical beam.

Optics Letters•Jun 17, 2013•38 citations
We present the experimental generation of light with directly observable close-to-ideal thermal statistical properties. The thermal light state is prepared using a spontaneous Raman emission in a warm atomic vapor. The photon number statistics are evaluated by both the measurement of second-order correlation function and by the detailed analysis of the corresponding photon number distribution, which certifies the quality of the Bose–Einstein statistics generated by a natural physical mechanism. We further demonstrate the extension of the spectral bandwidth of the generated light to hundreds of MHz domain while keeping the ideal thermal statistics, which suggests a direct applicability of the presented source in a broad range of applications including optical metrology, tests of robustness of quantum communication protocols, or quantum thermodynamics.
Abstract Generation of nonclassical light suitable for interaction with atoms corresponds to a crucial goal pursued across the broad quantum optics community. We present the generation of nonclassical photon pairs using the process of spontaneous four-wave mixing in warm atomic vapor with an unprecedentedly high degree of nonclassical photon correlations. We show how the unique combination of excitation of atoms in the proximity of the vapor cell viewport, single excitation laser beam, double-Λ energy level scheme, auxiliary optical pumping, and particular optical filtering setups, allow for the spectral bandwidth of generated nonclassical light fields of up to 560 ± 20 MHz and low two-photon noise. We provide a quantitative analysis of particular noise mechanisms which set technological and fundamental limits on the observable photon correlations. The overall technological simplicity of the presented scheme together with the availability of spectrally matched quantum memories implementable with warm atomic vapors promises the feasibility of realization of GHz bandwidth on-demand nonclassical light sources and efficient quantum communication nodes.
Generation of nonclassical light is an essential tool for quantum optics research and applications in quantum information technology. We present realization of the source of nonclassically correlated photon pairs based on the process of spontaneous four-wave-mixing in warm atomic vapor. Atoms are excited only by a single laser beam in retro-reflected configuration and narrowband frequency filtering is employed for selection of correlated photon pairs. Nonclassicality of generated light fields is proved by analysis of their statistical properties. Measured parameters of the presented source promise further applicability for efficient interaction with atomic ensembles.
Abstract The distributed quantum information processing and hybridization of quantum platforms raises increasing demands on the quality of light-matter interaction and realization of efficient quantum interfaces. This becomes particularly challenging for needed states possessing fundamental quantum non-Gaussian (QNG) aspects. They correspond to paramount resources in most potent applications of quantum technologies. We demonstrate the generation of light with provably QNG features from a warm atomic ensemble in a single-mode regime. The light is generated in a spontaneous four-wave mixing process in the presence of decoherence effects caused by a large atomic thermal motion. Despite its high sensitivity to any excess noise, direct observability of heralded QNG light could be achieved due to a combination of a fast resonant excitation, large spectral bandwidth, and a low absorption loss of resonant photons guaranteed by the source geometry.
The distributed quantum information processing and hybridization of quantum platforms raises increasing demands on the quality of light-matter interaction and realization of efficient quantum interfaces. This becomes particularly challenging for needed states possessing fundamental quantum non-Gaussian (QNG) aspects. They correspond to paramount resources in most potent applications of quantum technologies. We demonstrate the generation of light with provably QNG features from a tunable warm atomic ensemble in a single-mode regime. The light is generated in a spontaneous four-wave mixing process in the presence of decoherence effects caused by a large atomic thermal motion. Despite its high sensitivity to any excess noise, a direct observability of heralded QNG light could be achieved due to a combination of a fast resonant excitation, large spectral bandwidth, and a low absorption loss of resonant photons guaranteed by the source geometry.
We report slowed propagation and storage and retrieval of thermal light in warm rubidium vapor using the effect of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). We first demonstrate slowed propagation of the probe thermal light beam through an EIT medium by measuring the second-order correlation function of the light field using the Hanbury-Brown-Twiss interferometer. We also report an experimental study on the effect of the EIT slow-light medium on the temporal coherence of thermal light. Finally, we demonstrate the storage and retrieval of the thermal light beam in the EIT medium. The direct measurement of the photon number statistics of the retrieved light field shows that the photon number statistics are preserved during the storage and retrieval processes.