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Physics Today

Quantum memory for photons

Mikael Afzelius, Nicolas Gisin, Hugues de Riedmatten

Published Nov 30, 2015• 98 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The quantum state of a photon can be transferred to a single trapped atom or to a bunch of atoms in a gas or solid and be stored for later release on demand.
DOI
10.1063/pt.3.3021

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Quantum information can be transferred from a beam of light to a cloud of atoms and controllably released at a later time. This process forms the basis of many important quantum memory devices that are fundamental to the future of quantum information science, quantum computing, and quantum communication. Prior experiments have stored light in a variety of systems, including cold atom clouds, warm atomic vapor, solid state materials, and optical fibers. To extend these successful investigations, the goal of our research program is to carry out a full characterization of the quantum states of stored-and-retrieved multimode light.
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