623 research outputs found
High efficiency coherent optical memory with warm rubidium vapour
By harnessing aspects of quantum mechanics, communication and information
processing could be radically transformed. Promising forms of quantum
information technology include optical quantum cryptographic systems and
computing using photons for quantum logic operations. As with current
information processing systems, some form of memory will be required. Quantum
repeaters, which are required for long distance quantum key distribution,
require optical memory as do deterministic logic gates for optical quantum
computing. In this paper we present results from a coherent optical memory
based on warm rubidium vapour and show 87% efficient recall of light pulses,
the highest efficiency measured to date for any coherent optical memory. We
also show storage recall of up to 20 pulses from our system. These results show
that simple warm atomic vapour systems have clear potential as a platform for
quantum memory
An AC Stark Gradient Echo Memory in Cold Atoms
The burgeoning fields of quantum computing and quantum key distribution have
created a demand for a quantum memory. The gradient echo memory scheme is a
quantum memory candidate for light storage that can boast efficiencies
approaching unity, as well as the flexibility to work with either two or three
level atoms. The key to this scheme is the frequency gradient that is placed
across the memory. Currently the three level implementation uses a Zeeman
gradient and warm atoms. In this paper we model a new gradient creation
mechanism - the ac Stark effect - to provide an improvement in the flexibility
of gradient creation and field switching times. We propose this scheme in
concert with a move to cold atoms (~1 mK). These temperatures would increase
the storage times possible, and the small ensemble volumes would enable large
ac Stark shifts with reasonable laser power. We find that memory bandwidths on
the order of MHz can be produced with experimentally achievable laser powers
and trapping volumes, with high precision in gradient creation and switching
times on the order of nanoseconds possible. By looking at the different
decoherence mechanisms present in this system we determine that coherence times
on the order of 10s of milliseconds are possible, as are delay-bandwidth
products of approximately 50 and efficiencies over 90%
Storage and Manipulation of Light Using a Raman Gradient Echo Process
The Gradient Echo Memory (GEM) scheme has potential to be a suitable protocol
for storage and retrieval of optical quantum information. In this paper, we
review the properties of the -GEM method that stores information in
the ground states of three-level atomic ensembles via Raman coupling. The
scheme is versatile in that it can store and re-sequence multiple pulses of
light. To date, this scheme has been implemented using warm rubidium gas cells.
There are different phenomena that can influence the performance of these
atomic systems. We investigate the impact of atomic motion and four-wave mixing
and present experiments that show how parasitic four-wave mixing can be
mitigated. We also use the memory to demonstrate preservation of pulse shape
and the backward retrieval of pulses.Comment: 26 pages, 13 figure
Feedback cooling of a cantilever's fundamental mode below 5 mK
We cool the fundamental mechanical mode of an ultrasoft silicon cantilever
from a base temperature of 2.2 K to 2.9 +/- 0.3 mK using active optomechanical
feedback. The lowest observed mode temperature is consistent with limits
determined by the properties of the cantilever and by the measurement noise.
For high feedback gain, the driven cantilever motion is found to suppress or
"squash" the optical interferometer intensity noise below the shot noise level.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure
Suppression of Classical and Quantum Radiation Pressure Noise via Electro-Optic Feedback
We present theoretical results that demonstrate a new technique to be used to
improve the sensitivity of thermal noise measurements: intra-cavity intensity
stabilisation. It is demonstrated that electro-optic feedback can be used to
reduce intra-cavity intensity fluctuations, and the consequent radiation
pressure fluctuations, by a factor of two below the quantum noise limit. We
show that this is achievable in the presence of large classical intensity
fluctuations on the incident laser beam. The benefits of this scheme are a
consequence of the sub-Poissonian intensity statistics of the field inside a
feedback loop, and the quantum non-demolition nature of radiation pressure
noise as a readout system for the intra-cavity intensity fluctuations.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur
A Scalable, Self-Analyzing Digital Locking System for use on Quantum Optics Experiments
Digital control of optics experiments has many advantages over analog control
systems, specifically in terms of scalability, cost, flexibility, and the
integration of system information into one location. We present a digital
control system, freely available for download online, specifically designed for
quantum optics experiments that allows for automatic and sequential re-locking
of optical components. We show how the inbuilt locking analysis tools,
including a white-noise network analyzer, can be used to help optimize
individual locks, and verify the long term stability of the digital system.
Finally, we present an example of the benefits of digital locking for quantum
optics by applying the code to a specific experiment used to characterize
optical Schrodinger cat states.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
Configurable unitary transformations and linear logic gates using quantum memories
We show that a set of optical memories can act as a configurable linear
optical network operating on frequency-multiplexed optical states. Our protocol
is applicable to any quantum memories that employ off-resonant Raman
transitions to store optical information in atomic spins. In addition to the
configurability, the protocol also offers favourable scaling with an increasing
number of modes where N memories can be configured to implement an arbitrary
N-mode unitary operations during storage and readout. We demonstrate the
versatility of this protocol by showing an example where cascaded memories are
used to implement a conditional CZ gate.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure
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