International Conference on Atomic Physics (ICAP)

Atoms and cavities: Explorations of quantum entanglement

J. M. Raimond, E. W. Hagley, Xavier Maı̂tre, Gilles Nogues, C. Wunderlich, M. Brune, S. Haroche

Published Jan 1, 1999• 0 citations

Abstract

The interaction of circular Rydberg atoms with a high-quality microwave cavity makes it possible to realize complex quantum state manipulations. The state of an atom can be “copied” onto the cavity. Reversing this operation at a later time with a second atom, we realize an elementary “quantum memory” holding an atomic quantum coherence for a while in a cavity mode. We have also generated two-atom entangled states of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen type. At variance with previous experiments, this one implies massive particles in a completely controlled process. These entanglement manipulations can be generalized to more complex or to mesoscopic systems and open the way to new tests of fundamental aspects of the quantum world.

DOI: 10.1063/1.59375

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