Atomic quantum memories boost quantum imaging and sensing

Edoardo Charbon A

Ashok Ajoy, Ulf Bissbort, Mikhail D. Lukin +2 more

Manufacturing potent drugs requires knowledge of protein receptor sites. A novel strategy, combining the use of a quantum memory with quantum control, can boost the spatial resolution of magnetic-field sensors based on spin defects in diamond, thus achieving nanoscale magnetic imaging of biomolecules.

Dong-Sheng Ding, Jinghui Wu, Zhi‐Yuan Zhou +3 more

The strong demand for quantum memory, a key building block of quantum network, has inspired new methodologies and led to experimental progress for quantum storage. The use of quantum memory for spatial multimode or image storage could dramatically increase the channel bit rate. Furthermore, quantum memory that can store multiple optical modes would lead to higher efficiencies in quantum communication and computation. Here, by using resonant tripod electromagnetically induced transparency in a cold atomic ensemble, we experimentally demonstrate the storage of two probes with different frequencies and images in the frequency domain. In addition, by using different read light, we realize the frequency conversion of retrieved images with high efficiency. Besides, our method may be used to create a superposition of the images by realizing the function of a beam splitter. All advantages make our method useful in many fields, including quantum information, detection, imaging, sensing, and so on.

Hugo Defienne, Warwick P. Bowen, Maria V. Chekhova +5 more

Shau-Yu Lan, Ruitong Zhao, S. D. Jenkins +7 more

Michal P. Parniak, Michał Dąbrowski, Mateusz Mazelanik +3 more

Parallelized quantum information processing requires tailored quantum memories to simultaneously handle multiple photons. The spatial degree of freedom is a promising candidate to facilitate such photonic multiplexing. Using a single-photon resolving camera we demonstrate a wavevector multiplexed quantum memory based on a cold atomic ensemble. Observation of nonclassical correlations between Raman scattered photons is confirmed by a value of the second-order correlation function $g_{\mathrm{{S,AS}}}^{(2)}>80$ in an unprecedented number of 665 separated modes simultaneously. Our scheme is perfectly matched to expedite quantum communication in free-space or with multimode fibers, as well as quantum imaging and image processing at the single-photon level. Moreover, we propose a protocol utilizing the multimode memory along with the camera to facilitate generation of multi-photon states, which are a necessity in quantum-enhanced sensing technologies and as an input to photonic quantum circuits.