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

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE

Propagation of quantum optical fields under the conditions of multi-photon resonances in a coherent atomic vapor

G. Romanov, Travis Horrom, Irina V. Novikova, Eugeniy E. Mikhailov

Published Mar 6, 2013• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We investigate weak optical probe pulse propagation in a resonant Lambda and N-interaction schemes, and investigate the role of the four-wave mixing on classical and quantum properties of the probe field. In particular, we focus our attention on two configurations. In the first case we take into account the off-resonant coupling of the strong field to the signal field ground state. Such configuration is relevant for EIT-based slow light and quantum memory. In the second configuration the additional control field is derived from an independent laser, and it is tuned to a different optical resonance from the ones forming an original Lambda system. Such interaction scheme allows realization of tunable slow and fast light, and was considered with regards to enhancement of optical gyroscopes performance. We demonstrate that in both cases the four-wave mixing (FWM) has a profound effect on signal field group velocity and absorption profile, and may even lead to gain. We present both semi-classical and fully quantum treatments for propagation of both signal and newly generated Stokes fields that include accurate description of their quantum noise. In particular, we analyze the case of a quadrature-squeezed signal field, and demonstrate that vacuum fluctuations of the Stokes field couple into the signal field through the FWM process and degrades the squeezing. The severity of this degradation grows with optical depths of an atomic medium, setting an additional practical limits for the experiments.

DOI
10.1117/12.2010113

Related papers

Optical Control Of Multi-Photon Coherent Interactions In Rubidium Atoms

G. Romanov

In the last few decades, coherent light-atom interactions have opened unprecedented possibilities for the coherent control of atomic and optical quantum systems, paved the way for the practical realization of quantum information technologies, and allowed for the creation of novel quantum-enhanced sensors. This dissertation investigates the interaction of multiple near-resonant optical fields with hot rubidium atoms under the conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency. The main goal of the presented research is to address some fundamental challenges in using such systems for practical applications. The EIT effect relies on the strong coupling of an optical probe field and a collective long-lived ensemble of atomic spins by the means of a strong classical optical control field in a Lambda configuration. While optically-thick atomic vapor is necessary to achieve such a strong coupling regime, the increasing optical depth of the atomic ensemble also leads to the effective enhancement of other nonlinear light-atom interactions, such as the four-wave mixing effect. Here we discuss the possibility to control four-wave mixing in a three-level system without deteriorating the coherent properties of EIT by introducing an additional absorber resonant exclusively with the Stokes field. The exclusive detection of a weak probe field in the presence of a strong control field is a challenging experimental task, especially at the few-photon level. Many experiments employ polarization and/or frequency filtering to compete the task. We present an alternative filtering technique based on optical vortices for cases when the traditional methods are not sufficient or restrict the experimental arrangements. Finally, we demonstrate the possibility to manipulate the group velocity of a pulsed squeezed vacuum field by using the optical dispersion modification via Zeeman spin coherence in rubidium atoms. By changing the interaction condition, we demonstrate the switch between the ``slow'' and (for the first time) ``fast'' light regime. We also show that increased optical depth simultaneously leads to the enhancement of pulse advancement and the deterioration of squeezing fidelity in the output pulses.

•Jan 1, 2017•0 citations

Slow light propagation and amplification via electromagnetically induced transparency and four-wave mixing in an optically dense atomic vapor

Nathaniel B. Phillips, Alexey Vyacheslavovich Gorshkov, Irina V. Novikova

We experimentally and theoretically analyze the propagation of weak-signal field pulses under the conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in hot Rb vapor, and study the effects of resonant four-wave mixing (FWM). In particular, we demonstrate that in a double-Λ system, formed by the strong control field with the weak resonant signal and a far-detuned Stokes field, both continuous-wave spectra and pulse propagation dynamics for the signal field depend strongly on the amplitude of the seeded Stokes field, and the effect is enhanced in optically dense atomic medium. We also show that the theory describing the coupled propagation of the signal and Stokes fields is in good agreement with the experimental observations.

arXiv:0903.3937•Journal of Modern Optics•Aug 14, 2009•26 citations

Slow And Stored Light Under Conditions Of Electromagnetically Induced Transparency And Four Wave Mixing In An Atomic Vapor

Nathaniel B. Phillips

The recent prospect of efficient, reliable, and secure quantum communication relies on the ability to coherently and reversibly map nonclassical states of light onto long-lived atomic states. A promising technique that accomplishes this employs Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT), in which a strong classical control field modifies the optical properties of a weak signal field in such a way that a previously opaque medium becomes transparent to the signal field. The accompanying steep dispersion in the index of refraction allows for pulses of light to be decelerated, then stored as an atomic excitation, and later retrieved as a photonic mode. This dissertation presents the results of investigations into methods for optimizing the memory efficiency of this process in an ensemble of hot Rb atoms. We have experimentally demonstrated the effectiveness of two protocols for yielding the best memory efficiency possible at a given atomic density. Improving memory efficiency requires operation at higher optical depths, where undesired effects such as four-wave mixing (FWM) become enhanced and can spontaneously produce a new optical mode (Stokes field). We present the results of experimental and theoretical investigations of the FWM-EIT interaction under continuous-wave (cw), slow light, and stored light conditions. In particular, we provide evidence that indicates that while a Stokes field is generated upon retrieval of the signal field, any information originally encoded in a seeded Stokes field is not independently preserved during the storage process. We present a simple model that describes the propagation dynamics and provides an intuitive description of the EIT-FWM process.

•Jan 1, 2011•0 citations

Slow and stored light with atom-based squeezed light

G. Romanov, Travis Horrom, Eugeniy E. Mikhailov +1 more

In this manuscript we present calculations that consider the propagation of a squeezed vacuum signal field through a resonant atomic medium under electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). We show that squeezing is degraded due to four-wave mixing processes at high optical depth of the atomic medium. We also present some preliminary results for degenerate Zeeman EIT resonances.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Jan 12, 2012•2 citations

Tunable lossless slow and fast light in a four-level N-system

Irina V. Novikova, Eugeniy E. Mikhailov, Logan Stagg +2 more

We investigate the propagation of a weak probe laser field in a medium of warm Rb atoms, controlled with two strong resonant pump fields tuned to the D1 and D2 optical transitions to form an N-scheme arrangement. We have shown theoretically that four-wave mixing has a profound effect on the probe-field group velocity and absorption, allowing the probe-field propagation to be continuously tuned from superluminal to slow-light regimes with amplification. We have also identified the experimental conditions for observation of such tunable slow-to-fast light regime (continuously through the point of zero group index) with positive probe-field gain, and demonstrated that the spectral range corresponding to the zero group index can be tuned by controlling the power of one of the pump laser.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Mar 6, 2013•4 citations

Controllable steep dispersion with gain in a four-levelN-scheme with four-wave mixing

Nathaniel B. Phillips, Irina V. Novikova, Eugeniy E. Mikhailov +2 more

We present a theoretical analysis of the propagation of light pulses through a medium of four-level atoms, with two strong pump fields and a weak probe field in an N-scheme arrangement. We show that four-wave mixing has a profound effect on the probe-field group velocity and absorption, allowing the probe-field propagation to be tuned from superluminal to slow-light regimes with amplification.

arXiv:1205.2567•Journal of Modern Optics•Oct 26, 2012•18 citations
We investigate weak optical probe pulse propagation in a resonant Lambda and N-interaction schemes, and investigate the role of the four-wave mixing on classical and quantum properties of the probe field. In particular, we focus our attention on two configurations. In the first case we take into account the off-resonant coupling of the strong field to the signal field ground state. Such configuration is relevant for EIT-based slow light and quantum memory. In the second configuration the additional control field is derived from an independent laser, and it is tuned to a different optical resonance from the ones forming an original Lambda system. Such interaction scheme allows realization of tunable slow and fast light, and was considered with regards to enhancement of optical gyroscopes performance. We demonstrate that in both cases the four-wave mixing (FWM) has a profound effect on signal field group velocity and absorption profile, and may even lead to gain. We present both semi-classical and fully quantum treatments for propagation of both signal and newly generated Stokes fields that include accurate description of their quantum noise. In particular, we analyze the case of a quadrature-squeezed signal field, and demonstrate that vacuum fluctuations of the Stokes field couple into the signal field through the FWM process and degrades the squeezing. The severity of this degradation grows with optical depths of an atomic medium, setting an additional practical limits for the experiments.
In the last few decades, coherent light-atom interactions have opened unprecedented possibilities for the coherent control of atomic and optical quantum systems, paved the way for the practical realization of quantum information technologies, and allowed for the creation of novel quantum-enhanced sensors. This dissertation investigates the interaction of multiple near-resonant optical fields with hot rubidium atoms under the conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency. The main goal of the presented research is to address some fundamental challenges in using such systems for practical applications. The EIT effect relies on the strong coupling of an optical probe field and a collective long-lived ensemble of atomic spins by the means of a strong classical optical control field in a Lambda configuration. While optically-thick atomic vapor is necessary to achieve such a strong coupling regime, the increasing optical depth of the atomic ensemble also leads to the effective enhancement of other nonlinear light-atom interactions, such as the four-wave mixing effect. Here we discuss the possibility to control four-wave mixing in a three-level system without deteriorating the coherent properties of EIT by introducing an additional absorber resonant exclusively with the Stokes field. The exclusive detection of a weak probe field in the presence of a strong control field is a challenging experimental task, especially at the few-photon level. Many experiments employ polarization and/or frequency filtering to compete the task. We present an alternative filtering technique based on optical vortices for cases when the traditional methods are not sufficient or restrict the experimental arrangements. Finally, we demonstrate the possibility to manipulate the group velocity of a pulsed squeezed vacuum field by using the optical dispersion modification via Zeeman spin coherence in rubidium atoms. By changing the interaction condition, we demonstrate the switch between the ``slow'' and (for the first time) ``fast'' light regime. We also show that increased optical depth simultaneously leads to the enhancement of pulse advancement and the deterioration of squeezing fidelity in the output pulses.
We experimentally and theoretically analyze the propagation of weak-signal field pulses under the conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in hot Rb vapor, and study the effects of resonant four-wave mixing (FWM). In particular, we demonstrate that in a double-Λ system, formed by the strong control field with the weak resonant signal and a far-detuned Stokes field, both continuous-wave spectra and pulse propagation dynamics for the signal field depend strongly on the amplitude of the seeded Stokes field, and the effect is enhanced in optically dense atomic medium. We also show that the theory describing the coupled propagation of the signal and Stokes fields is in good agreement with the experimental observations.
The recent prospect of efficient, reliable, and secure quantum communication relies on the ability to coherently and reversibly map nonclassical states of light onto long-lived atomic states. A promising technique that accomplishes this employs Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT), in which a strong classical control field modifies the optical properties of a weak signal field in such a way that a previously opaque medium becomes transparent to the signal field. The accompanying steep dispersion in the index of refraction allows for pulses of light to be decelerated, then stored as an atomic excitation, and later retrieved as a photonic mode. This dissertation presents the results of investigations into methods for optimizing the memory efficiency of this process in an ensemble of hot Rb atoms. We have experimentally demonstrated the effectiveness of two protocols for yielding the best memory efficiency possible at a given atomic density. Improving memory efficiency requires operation at higher optical depths, where undesired effects such as four-wave mixing (FWM) become enhanced and can spontaneously produce a new optical mode (Stokes field). We present the results of experimental and theoretical investigations of the FWM-EIT interaction under continuous-wave (cw), slow light, and stored light conditions. In particular, we provide evidence that indicates that while a Stokes field is generated upon retrieval of the signal field, any information originally encoded in a seeded Stokes field is not independently preserved during the storage process. We present a simple model that describes the propagation dynamics and provides an intuitive description of the EIT-FWM process.
We investigate the propagation of a weak probe laser field in a medium of warm Rb atoms, controlled with two strong resonant pump fields tuned to the D1 and D2 optical transitions to form an N-scheme arrangement. We have shown theoretically that four-wave mixing has a profound effect on the probe-field group velocity and absorption, allowing the probe-field propagation to be continuously tuned from superluminal to slow-light regimes with amplification. We have also identified the experimental conditions for observation of such tunable slow-to-fast light regime (continuously through the point of zero group index) with positive probe-field gain, and demonstrated that the spectral range corresponding to the zero group index can be tuned by controlling the power of one of the pump laser.