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

Applied Physics Letters

Ultrafast optical imaging by molecular wakes

Jian Wu, Peifen Lu, Jia Liu, Hao Li, Haifeng Pan, Heping Zeng

Published Oct 18, 2010• 20 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Ultrafast optical imaging is demonstrated by ultrashort laser pulse induced impulsive molecular alignment, involving optical image storage in the created molecular wakes followed by periodic readout and display. For diatomic molecules in air, both raised and intagliated monochromatic images are demonstrated, which is field-free, periodically achievable, and works as an ultrafast buffer memory for the imprinted optical images. Analogous to the holographic imaging, the phase information of a three-dimensional object can be revealed at various time delays.

DOI
10.1063/1.3505138

Related papers

Holographic Storage of Ultrafast Photonic Qubit in Molecules

Alexis Voisine, Franck Billard, O. Faucher +2 more

Orbital Angular Momentum In article number 2400008, Edouard Hertz and co-workers show how ultrashort spatially structured beams can sculpt a sample of gas-phase molecules in three dimensions so as to produce a spatial pattern of aligned molecules whose shape and temporal evolution allow to restore the spatial light information on a time-delayed reading pulse. This property can be exploited to establish versatile optical processing of orbital angular momentum fields or to design new photonic devices.

Advanced Photonics Research•May 1, 2024•0 citations

Holographic Storage of Ultrafast Photonic Qubit in Molecules

Alexis Voisine, Franck Billard, O. Faucher +2 more

Herein, it is demonstrated that ultrashort spatially structured beams can sculpt a sample of gas‐phase molecules like a 4D material to produce a spatial pattern of aligned molecules whose shape and temporal evolution allow to restore the spatial light information on a time‐delayed reading pulse. To do so, the spatial phase and amplitude information of ultrashort light beams are encoded into rotational coherences of molecules by exploiting the interplay between spin angular momentum and orbital angular momentum. The field‐free molecular alignment resulting from the interaction leads to an inhomogeneous spatial structuring of the sample allowing to transfer the encoded information into a time‐delayed probe beam. The demonstration is conducted in molecules. Besides applications in terms of THz bandwidth buffer memory, the strategy features interesting prospects for establishing versatile optical processing of orbital angular momentum (OAM) fields, for studying various molecular processes, or for designing new photonic devices enabling to impart superpositions of OAM modes to light beams.

Advanced Photonics Research•Feb 9, 2024•4 citations

Using molecules as a quantum interface to store ultrashort optical vortices

E. Hertz, Alexis Voisine, Firas Trawi +3 more

We exploit gas-phase molecules as light-matter interface to store an orbital angular momentum (OAM) or a superposition of OAM states (OAM-based photonic qubits) carried by ultrashort laser pulses. The interplay between spin angular momentum and OAM is exploited to encode the amplitude and spatial phase information of light beams into rotational coherences of molecules. This last is restored on-demand over tens of picoseconds with a reading beam by taking advantage of field-free molecular alignment. The underlying mechanism at the origin of the storage can be interpreted by the spatial structuring of the molecular sample induced by the field. The excitation indeed produces an inhomogeneous spatial distribution of molecular alignment (amplitude & orientation) whose periodical revivals associated with the quantum beatings of the rotational wavepacket enables to restore the spatial beam structure on-demand. The strategy is successfully demonstrated in CO2 molecules at room temperature. Besides applicability as storage medium with THz bandwidth application, the use of molecules as light-matter interface opens new functionalities in terms of optical processing and versatile control of OAM fields.

EPJ Web of Conferences•Jan 1, 2023•0 citations

Optical quantum memory for ultrafast photons using molecular alignment

Guillaume Thekkadath, Khabat Heshami, D. G. England +3 more

The absorption of broadband photons in atomic ensembles requires either an effective broadening of the atomic transition linewidth, or an off-resonance Raman interaction. Here, we propose a scheme for a quantum memory capable of storing and retrieving ultrafast photons in an ensemble of two-level atoms using a propagation medium with a time–dependent refractive index generated from aligning an ensemble of gas-phase diatomic molecules. The refractive index dynamics generates an effective longitudinal inhomogeneous broadening of the two-level transition. We numerically demonstrate this scheme for storage and retrieval of a weak pulse as short as 50 fs, with a storage time of up to 20 ps. With additional optical control of the molecular alignment dynamics, the storage time can be extended about one nanosecond leading to time–bandwidth products of order 104. This scheme could in principle be achieved using either a hollow-core fibre or a high-pressure gas cell, in a gaseous host medium comprised of diatomic molecules and a two-level atomic vapour at room temperature.

arXiv:1511.00349•Journal of Modern Optics•May 10, 2016•1 citation

Ultrashort Optical Pulses and Their Generation in Resonant Media (Scientific Summary)

Rostislav M. Arkhipov, Mikhail V. Arkhipov, A. A. Shimko +2 more

Our recent studies of methods for obtaining ultrashort light pulses and analysis of the impact of ultrashort optical pulses on classical and quantum micro-objects with the identification of the determining role of the degree of unipolarity of pulses (maximum for strictly unipolar pulses) in the efficiency of direct laser acceleration of charged particles and excitation of atoms and molecules have been reviewed. Special attention has been paid to the coherent mode locking regime in lasers, which is implemented when the laser pulse duration is less than the relaxation time of the working transition in media with resonance amplification and absorption (laser analog of the phenomenon of self-induced transparency). Experimental data on coherent mode locking in a titanium-sapphire laser with a cell with rubidium vapor at self-induced transparency in rubidium have been presented. The interaction of ultrashort pulses in resonant media has also been analyzed.

Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics Letters•Jul 1, 2019•49 citations

Molecular Quantum Interface for Storing and Manipulating Ultrashort Optical Vortex

Firas Trawi, Franck Billard, O. Faucher +2 more

Abstract Light beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) have become over the past few years a subject of widespread interest with unprecedented applications in various fields such as optical communication, super‐resolution imaging, optical tweezers, or quantum processing. In the present work it is demonstrated that gas‐phase molecules can be used as a quantum interface to store an OAM carried by an ultrashort laser pulse. The interplay between spin angular momentum and OAM is exploited to encode the spatial phase information of light beams into rotational coherences of molecules. The embedded spatial structure is restored on‐demand with a reading beam by taking advantage of field‐free molecular alignment. The strategy is successfully demonstrated in CO2 molecules at room temperature. Apart from applications to broadband coherent buffer memory, this method opens new functionalities in terms of optical processing and versatile control of OAM fields as well as for a deeper understanding of their role on various molecular processes.

Laser & Photonics Review•Nov 18, 2022•8 citations
Ultrafast optical imaging is demonstrated by ultrashort laser pulse induced impulsive molecular alignment, involving optical image storage in the created molecular wakes followed by periodic readout and display. For diatomic molecules in air, both raised and intagliated monochromatic images are demonstrated, which is field-free, periodically achievable, and works as an ultrafast buffer memory for the imprinted optical images. Analogous to the holographic imaging, the phase information of a three-dimensional object can be revealed at various time delays.
Orbital Angular Momentum In article number 2400008, Edouard Hertz and co-workers show how ultrashort spatially structured beams can sculpt a sample of gas-phase molecules in three dimensions so as to produce a spatial pattern of aligned molecules whose shape and temporal evolution allow to restore the spatial light information on a time-delayed reading pulse. This property can be exploited to establish versatile optical processing of orbital angular momentum fields or to design new photonic devices.
Herein, it is demonstrated that ultrashort spatially structured beams can sculpt a sample of gas‐phase molecules like a 4D material to produce a spatial pattern of aligned molecules whose shape and temporal evolution allow to restore the spatial light information on a time‐delayed reading pulse. To do so, the spatial phase and amplitude information of ultrashort light beams are encoded into rotational coherences of molecules by exploiting the interplay between spin angular momentum and orbital angular momentum. The field‐free molecular alignment resulting from the interaction leads to an inhomogeneous spatial structuring of the sample allowing to transfer the encoded information into a time‐delayed probe beam. The demonstration is conducted in molecules. Besides applications in terms of THz bandwidth buffer memory, the strategy features interesting prospects for establishing versatile optical processing of orbital angular momentum (OAM) fields, for studying various molecular processes, or for designing new photonic devices enabling to impart superpositions of OAM modes to light beams.
We exploit gas-phase molecules as light-matter interface to store an orbital angular momentum (OAM) or a superposition of OAM states (OAM-based photonic qubits) carried by ultrashort laser pulses. The interplay between spin angular momentum and OAM is exploited to encode the amplitude and spatial phase information of light beams into rotational coherences of molecules. This last is restored on-demand over tens of picoseconds with a reading beam by taking advantage of field-free molecular alignment. The underlying mechanism at the origin of the storage can be interpreted by the spatial structuring of the molecular sample induced by the field. The excitation indeed produces an inhomogeneous spatial distribution of molecular alignment (amplitude & orientation) whose periodical revivals associated with the quantum beatings of the rotational wavepacket enables to restore the spatial beam structure on-demand. The strategy is successfully demonstrated in CO2 molecules at room temperature. Besides applicability as storage medium with THz bandwidth application, the use of molecules as light-matter interface opens new functionalities in terms of optical processing and versatile control of OAM fields.
The absorption of broadband photons in atomic ensembles requires either an effective broadening of the atomic transition linewidth, or an off-resonance Raman interaction. Here, we propose a scheme for a quantum memory capable of storing and retrieving ultrafast photons in an ensemble of two-level atoms using a propagation medium with a time–dependent refractive index generated from aligning an ensemble of gas-phase diatomic molecules. The refractive index dynamics generates an effective longitudinal inhomogeneous broadening of the two-level transition. We numerically demonstrate this scheme for storage and retrieval of a weak pulse as short as 50 fs, with a storage time of up to 20 ps. With additional optical control of the molecular alignment dynamics, the storage time can be extended about one nanosecond leading to time–bandwidth products of order 104. This scheme could in principle be achieved using either a hollow-core fibre or a high-pressure gas cell, in a gaseous host medium comprised of diatomic molecules and a two-level atomic vapour at room temperature.
Our recent studies of methods for obtaining ultrashort light pulses and analysis of the impact of ultrashort optical pulses on classical and quantum micro-objects with the identification of the determining role of the degree of unipolarity of pulses (maximum for strictly unipolar pulses) in the efficiency of direct laser acceleration of charged particles and excitation of atoms and molecules have been reviewed. Special attention has been paid to the coherent mode locking regime in lasers, which is implemented when the laser pulse duration is less than the relaxation time of the working transition in media with resonance amplification and absorption (laser analog of the phenomenon of self-induced transparency). Experimental data on coherent mode locking in a titanium-sapphire laser with a cell with rubidium vapor at self-induced transparency in rubidium have been presented. The interaction of ultrashort pulses in resonant media has also been analyzed.
Abstract Light beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) have become over the past few years a subject of widespread interest with unprecedented applications in various fields such as optical communication, super‐resolution imaging, optical tweezers, or quantum processing. In the present work it is demonstrated that gas‐phase molecules can be used as a quantum interface to store an OAM carried by an ultrashort laser pulse. The interplay between spin angular momentum and OAM is exploited to encode the spatial phase information of light beams into rotational coherences of molecules. The embedded spatial structure is restored on‐demand with a reading beam by taking advantage of field‐free molecular alignment. The strategy is successfully demonstrated in CO2 molecules at room temperature. Apart from applications to broadband coherent buffer memory, this method opens new functionalities in terms of optical processing and versatile control of OAM fields as well as for a deeper understanding of their role on various molecular processes.