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

Advanced Photonics Research

Holographic Storage of Ultrafast Photonic Qubit in Molecules

Alexis Voisine, Franck Billard, O. Faucher, Pierre Béjot, E. Hertz

Published May 1, 2024• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Orbital Angular Momentum In article number 2400008, Edouard Hertz and co-workers show how ultrashort spatially structured beams can sculpt a sample of gas-phase molecules in three dimensions so as to produce a spatial pattern of aligned molecules whose shape and temporal evolution allow to restore the spatial light information on a time-delayed reading pulse. This property can be exploited to establish versatile optical processing of orbital angular momentum fields or to design new photonic devices.

DOI
10.1002/adpr.202470015

Related papers

Holographic Storage of Ultrafast Photonic Qubit in Molecules

Alexis Voisine, Franck Billard, O. Faucher +2 more

Herein, it is demonstrated that ultrashort spatially structured beams can sculpt a sample of gas‐phase molecules like a 4D material to produce a spatial pattern of aligned molecules whose shape and temporal evolution allow to restore the spatial light information on a time‐delayed reading pulse. To do so, the spatial phase and amplitude information of ultrashort light beams are encoded into rotational coherences of molecules by exploiting the interplay between spin angular momentum and orbital angular momentum. The field‐free molecular alignment resulting from the interaction leads to an inhomogeneous spatial structuring of the sample allowing to transfer the encoded information into a time‐delayed probe beam. The demonstration is conducted in molecules. Besides applications in terms of THz bandwidth buffer memory, the strategy features interesting prospects for establishing versatile optical processing of orbital angular momentum (OAM) fields, for studying various molecular processes, or for designing new photonic devices enabling to impart superpositions of OAM modes to light beams.

Advanced Photonics Research•Feb 9, 2024•4 citations

Using molecules as a quantum interface to store ultrashort optical vortices

E. Hertz, Alexis Voisine, Firas Trawi +3 more

We exploit gas-phase molecules as light-matter interface to store an orbital angular momentum (OAM) or a superposition of OAM states (OAM-based photonic qubits) carried by ultrashort laser pulses. The interplay between spin angular momentum and OAM is exploited to encode the amplitude and spatial phase information of light beams into rotational coherences of molecules. This last is restored on-demand over tens of picoseconds with a reading beam by taking advantage of field-free molecular alignment. The underlying mechanism at the origin of the storage can be interpreted by the spatial structuring of the molecular sample induced by the field. The excitation indeed produces an inhomogeneous spatial distribution of molecular alignment (amplitude & orientation) whose periodical revivals associated with the quantum beatings of the rotational wavepacket enables to restore the spatial beam structure on-demand. The strategy is successfully demonstrated in CO2 molecules at room temperature. Besides applicability as storage medium with THz bandwidth application, the use of molecules as light-matter interface opens new functionalities in terms of optical processing and versatile control of OAM fields.

EPJ Web of Conferences•Jan 1, 2023•0 citations

Molecular Quantum Interface for Storing and Manipulating Ultrashort Optical Vortex

Firas Trawi, Franck Billard, O. Faucher +2 more

Abstract Light beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) have become over the past few years a subject of widespread interest with unprecedented applications in various fields such as optical communication, super‐resolution imaging, optical tweezers, or quantum processing. In the present work it is demonstrated that gas‐phase molecules can be used as a quantum interface to store an OAM carried by an ultrashort laser pulse. The interplay between spin angular momentum and OAM is exploited to encode the spatial phase information of light beams into rotational coherences of molecules. The embedded spatial structure is restored on‐demand with a reading beam by taking advantage of field‐free molecular alignment. The strategy is successfully demonstrated in CO2 molecules at room temperature. Apart from applications to broadband coherent buffer memory, this method opens new functionalities in terms of optical processing and versatile control of OAM fields as well as for a deeper understanding of their role on various molecular processes.

Laser & Photonics Review•Nov 18, 2022•8 citations

Ultrafast optical imaging by molecular wakes

Jian Wu, Peifen Lu, Jia Liu +3 more

Ultrafast optical imaging is demonstrated by ultrashort laser pulse induced impulsive molecular alignment, involving optical image storage in the created molecular wakes followed by periodic readout and display. For diatomic molecules in air, both raised and intagliated monochromatic images are demonstrated, which is field-free, periodically achievable, and works as an ultrafast buffer memory for the imprinted optical images. Analogous to the holographic imaging, the phase information of a three-dimensional object can be revealed at various time delays.

Applied Physics Letters•Oct 18, 2010•20 citations

Research progress on preparation, manipulation, and remote sensing applications of high-order orbital angular momentum of photons

Lixiang Chen, Zhang Yuan-Ying

Photons are an ideal candidate for encoding both classical and quantum information. Besides spin angular momentum associated with circular polarization, single photon can also carry other fundamentally new degree of freedom of orbital angular momentum related to the spiral phase structure of light. The key significance of orbital angular momentum lies in its potential in realizing a high-dimensional Hilbert space and in encoding a high-dimensional quantum information. Since Allen et al. [Allen L, Beijersbergen M W, Spreeuw R J C, Woerdman J P 1992 Phys. Rev. A 45 8185] recognized the physical reality of photon orbital angular momentum in 1992, rapidly growing interest has been aroused in orbital angular momentum (OAM) from both classical and quantum points of view. Here we present an overall review on the high-order orbital angular momentum of photon, including its preparation and manipulation based on some specific techniques and also its applications. The spatial light modulator is a commercial device that has been widely employed to generate the OAM beams. We make and identify the optical OAM superposition with very high quantum numbers up to l=360. Recently, the metallic spiral phase mirrors were also developed to produce high-order OAM beams up to l=5050. In addition, the Q-plates made of anisotropic and inhomogeneous liquid crystals were invented to generate high-order OAM beams in a polarization-controllable manner, and the OAM superposition of l=± 50 were achieved. Owing to high rotational symmetry, these high OAM beams have been found to have more and more important applications in the fields of high-sensitivity sensing and high-precision measurements. Two fascinating examples are discussed in detail. The first example is that the research group led by Prof. Zeilinger has prepared and observed the quantum entanglement of high orbital angular momenta up to l=±300 by the technique of polarization-OAM entanglement swapping, and they demonstrated that the angular resolution could be significantly improved by a factor of l. Their result was the first step for entangling and twisting even macroscopic, spatially separated objects in two different directions. The second example is that the research group led by Prof. Padgett has demonstrated an elegant experiment of rotational Doppler effects for visible light with l=±20 OAM superposition. They showed that a spinning object with an optically rough surface might induce a Doppler effect in light reflected from the direction parallel to the rotation axis, and the frequency shift was proportional to both the disk's angular speed and the optical OAM. The potential applications in noncontact measurement of angular speed and in significant improvement of angular resolution for remote sensing will be particularly fascinating.

Acta Physica Sinica•Jan 1, 2015•10 citations

Molecular Alignment Echo for Controlling the Readout Time of Vortex Beams

Alexis Voisine, Pierre Béjot, Franck Billard +2 more

We present an experimental study of molecular alignment echoes driven by ultrashort structured light fields carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM). By combining two time-delayed pump pulses with spatially varying polarization, we produce a molecular "q plate" in a gaseous CO_{2} sample that can be rephased in a controllable manner. This approach enables the storage of OAM information within the rotational coherences of molecules and its retrieval at adjustable times. The concept is validated using vortex beams of various topological charges ℓ=±1, 2. These results extend the mechanism of molecular alignment echoes to vector light fields and establish a new route for optical processing of ultrashort OAM pulses, advancing molecular-based quantum interfaces for structured light.

Physical Review Letters•Dec 4, 2025•0 citations
Orbital Angular Momentum In article number 2400008, Edouard Hertz and co-workers show how ultrashort spatially structured beams can sculpt a sample of gas-phase molecules in three dimensions so as to produce a spatial pattern of aligned molecules whose shape and temporal evolution allow to restore the spatial light information on a time-delayed reading pulse. This property can be exploited to establish versatile optical processing of orbital angular momentum fields or to design new photonic devices.
Herein, it is demonstrated that ultrashort spatially structured beams can sculpt a sample of gas‐phase molecules like a 4D material to produce a spatial pattern of aligned molecules whose shape and temporal evolution allow to restore the spatial light information on a time‐delayed reading pulse. To do so, the spatial phase and amplitude information of ultrashort light beams are encoded into rotational coherences of molecules by exploiting the interplay between spin angular momentum and orbital angular momentum. The field‐free molecular alignment resulting from the interaction leads to an inhomogeneous spatial structuring of the sample allowing to transfer the encoded information into a time‐delayed probe beam. The demonstration is conducted in molecules. Besides applications in terms of THz bandwidth buffer memory, the strategy features interesting prospects for establishing versatile optical processing of orbital angular momentum (OAM) fields, for studying various molecular processes, or for designing new photonic devices enabling to impart superpositions of OAM modes to light beams.
We exploit gas-phase molecules as light-matter interface to store an orbital angular momentum (OAM) or a superposition of OAM states (OAM-based photonic qubits) carried by ultrashort laser pulses. The interplay between spin angular momentum and OAM is exploited to encode the amplitude and spatial phase information of light beams into rotational coherences of molecules. This last is restored on-demand over tens of picoseconds with a reading beam by taking advantage of field-free molecular alignment. The underlying mechanism at the origin of the storage can be interpreted by the spatial structuring of the molecular sample induced by the field. The excitation indeed produces an inhomogeneous spatial distribution of molecular alignment (amplitude & orientation) whose periodical revivals associated with the quantum beatings of the rotational wavepacket enables to restore the spatial beam structure on-demand. The strategy is successfully demonstrated in CO2 molecules at room temperature. Besides applicability as storage medium with THz bandwidth application, the use of molecules as light-matter interface opens new functionalities in terms of optical processing and versatile control of OAM fields.
Abstract Light beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) have become over the past few years a subject of widespread interest with unprecedented applications in various fields such as optical communication, super‐resolution imaging, optical tweezers, or quantum processing. In the present work it is demonstrated that gas‐phase molecules can be used as a quantum interface to store an OAM carried by an ultrashort laser pulse. The interplay between spin angular momentum and OAM is exploited to encode the spatial phase information of light beams into rotational coherences of molecules. The embedded spatial structure is restored on‐demand with a reading beam by taking advantage of field‐free molecular alignment. The strategy is successfully demonstrated in CO2 molecules at room temperature. Apart from applications to broadband coherent buffer memory, this method opens new functionalities in terms of optical processing and versatile control of OAM fields as well as for a deeper understanding of their role on various molecular processes.
Ultrafast optical imaging is demonstrated by ultrashort laser pulse induced impulsive molecular alignment, involving optical image storage in the created molecular wakes followed by periodic readout and display. For diatomic molecules in air, both raised and intagliated monochromatic images are demonstrated, which is field-free, periodically achievable, and works as an ultrafast buffer memory for the imprinted optical images. Analogous to the holographic imaging, the phase information of a three-dimensional object can be revealed at various time delays.
Photons are an ideal candidate for encoding both classical and quantum information. Besides spin angular momentum associated with circular polarization, single photon can also carry other fundamentally new degree of freedom of orbital angular momentum related to the spiral phase structure of light. The key significance of orbital angular momentum lies in its potential in realizing a high-dimensional Hilbert space and in encoding a high-dimensional quantum information. Since Allen et al. [Allen L, Beijersbergen M W, Spreeuw R J C, Woerdman J P 1992 Phys. Rev. A 45 8185] recognized the physical reality of photon orbital angular momentum in 1992, rapidly growing interest has been aroused in orbital angular momentum (OAM) from both classical and quantum points of view. Here we present an overall review on the high-order orbital angular momentum of photon, including its preparation and manipulation based on some specific techniques and also its applications. The spatial light modulator is a commercial device that has been widely employed to generate the OAM beams. We make and identify the optical OAM superposition with very high quantum numbers up to l=360. Recently, the metallic spiral phase mirrors were also developed to produce high-order OAM beams up to l=5050. In addition, the Q-plates made of anisotropic and inhomogeneous liquid crystals were invented to generate high-order OAM beams in a polarization-controllable manner, and the OAM superposition of l=± 50 were achieved. Owing to high rotational symmetry, these high OAM beams have been found to have more and more important applications in the fields of high-sensitivity sensing and high-precision measurements. Two fascinating examples are discussed in detail. The first example is that the research group led by Prof. Zeilinger has prepared and observed the quantum entanglement of high orbital angular momenta up to l=±300 by the technique of polarization-OAM entanglement swapping, and they demonstrated that the angular resolution could be significantly improved by a factor of l. Their result was the first step for entangling and twisting even macroscopic, spatially separated objects in two different directions. The second example is that the research group led by Prof. Padgett has demonstrated an elegant experiment of rotational Doppler effects for visible light with l=±20 OAM superposition. They showed that a spinning object with an optically rough surface might induce a Doppler effect in light reflected from the direction parallel to the rotation axis, and the frequency shift was proportional to both the disk's angular speed and the optical OAM. The potential applications in noncontact measurement of angular speed and in significant improvement of angular resolution for remote sensing will be particularly fascinating.
We present an experimental study of molecular alignment echoes driven by ultrashort structured light fields carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM). By combining two time-delayed pump pulses with spatially varying polarization, we produce a molecular "q plate" in a gaseous CO_{2} sample that can be rephased in a controllable manner. This approach enables the storage of OAM information within the rotational coherences of molecules and its retrieval at adjustable times. The concept is validated using vortex beams of various topological charges ℓ=±1, 2. These results extend the mechanism of molecular alignment echoes to vector light fields and establish a new route for optical processing of ultrashort OAM pulses, advancing molecular-based quantum interfaces for structured light.