Control Rabi Flopping Applied to Photon Echoes for Quantum Memories

Abstract

Photon echo-based quantum memory protocols presented over the last decade are primarily to solve the population inversion constraint in conventional photon echoes. In addition to population inversion, other major constraints limiting quantum memory applications are the low retrieval efficiency and short storage time, in which the importance of these factors has recently increased because of the challenges of the entangled qubit scalability and quantum repeaters. Here, I present, analyze and discuss the solution model for a Controlled Double Rephasing (CDR) echo protocol to satisfy non-inversion, near-perfect retrieval efficiency, and ultra-long storage time. In the CDR echo, a coherent Rabi pulse pair plays a key role for controlling both the ensemble phase and echo propagation direction, where the followings are the major results. Firstly, a counter propagating control Rabi pulse-pair-induced backward echo is free from echo reabsorption, resulting in a near perfect retrieval efficiency. Secondly, the control Rabi pulse pair induces an optical-spin coherence conversion like in the ultraslow light-based photon storage, resulting in a storage time extension up to spin decay time. Finally, the control Rabi flopping to a third state induces a π phase shift to the ensemble coherence, resulting in an emissive echo in the double rephasing scheme, where the π phase shift is due to optical-spin coherence conversion process. Conclusion: This study reveals that the control Rabi flopping in a three-level system applied to conventional photon echoes for storage time extension induces a π phase shift to the coher ent ensemble.