21 research outputs found
Photonic qubits, qutrits and ququads accurately prepared and delivered on demand
Reliable encoding of information in quantum systems is crucial to all
approaches to quantum information processing or communication. This applies in
particular to photons used in linear optics quantum computing (LOQC), which is
scalable provided a deterministic single-photon emission and preparation is
available. Here, we show that narrowband photons deterministically emitted from
an atom-cavity system fulfill these requirements. Within their 500 ns coherence
time, we demonstrate a subdivision into d time bins of various amplitudes and
phases, which we use for encoding arbitrary qu-d-its. The latter is done
deterministically with a fidelity >95% for qubits, verified using a newly
developed time-resolved quantum-homodyne method.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Highly Efficient Source for Indistinguishable Photons of Controlled Shape
We demonstrate a straightforward implementation of a push-button like
single-photon source which is based on a strongly coupled atom-cavity system.
The device operates intermittently for periods of up to 100 microseconds, with
single-photon repetition rates of 1.0 MHz and an efficiency of 60 %. Atoms are
loaded into the cavity using an atomic fountain, with the upper turning point
near the cavity's mode centre. This ensures long interaction times without any
disturbances induced by trapping potentials. The latter is the key to reaching
deterministic efficiencies as high as obtained in probabalistic
photon-heralding schemes. The price to pay is the random loading of atoms into
the cavity and the resulting intermittency. However, for all practical
purposes, this has a negligible impact
Photonic Quantum Logic with Narrowband Light from Single Atoms
Increasing control of single photons enables new applications of photonic
quantum-enhanced technology and further experimental exploration of fundamental
quantum phenomena. Here, we demonstrate quantum logic using narrow linewidth
photons that are produced under nearly perfect quantum control from a single
^87Rb atom strongly coupled to a high-finesse cavity. We use a controlled- NOT
gate integrated into a photonic chip to entangle these photons, and we observe
non-classical correlations between events separated by periods exceeding the
travel time across the chip by three orders of magnitude. This enables quantum
technology that will use the properties of both narrowband single photon
sources and integrated quantum photonics, such as networked quantum computing,
narrow linewidth quantum enhanced sensing and atomic memories.Comment: 5 pates, 3 figure
How to administer an antidote to Schrodinger's cat
In his 1935 Gedankenexperiment, Erwin Schrödinger imagined a box with a cat and a poisonous substance which has a 50% probability of being released, based on the decay of a radioactive atom. As such, the life of the cat and the state of the poison become entangled, and the fate of the cat is determined upon opening the box. We present an experimental technique that keeps the cat alive on any account. This method relies on the time-resolved Hong-Ou-Mandel effect: two long, identical photons impinging on a beam splitter always bunch in either of the outputs. Interpreting the first photon detection as the state of the poison, the second photon is identified as the state of the cat. Even after the collapse of the first photon's state, we show their fates are intertwined through quantum interference. We demonstrate this by a sudden phase change between the inputs, administered conditionally on the outcome of the first detection, which steers the second photon to a pre-defined output and ensures that the cat is always observed alive
Multimode interferometry for entangling atoms in quantum networks
© 2019 IOP Publishing Ltd. We bring together a cavity-enhanced light-matter interface with a multimode interferometer (MMI) integrated onto a photonic chip and demonstrate the potential of such hybrid systems to tailor distributed entanglement in a quantum network. The MMI is operated with pairs of narrowband photons produced a priori deterministically from a single 87Rb atom strongly coupled to a high-finesse optical cavity. Non-classical coincidences between photon detection events show no loss of coherence when interfering pairs of these photons through the MMI in comparison to the two-photon visibility directly measured using Hong-Ou-Mandel interference on a beam splitter. This demonstrates the ability of integrated multimode circuits to mediate the entanglement of remote stationary nodes in a quantum network interlinked by photonic qubits
Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds
Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world’s oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast distances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened species. Outside the Mediterranean and Black seas, exposure risk is highest in the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of the USA, Japan, and the UK. Birds generally had higher plastic exposure risk outside the EEZ of the country where they breed. We identify conservation and research priorities, and highlight that international collaboration is key to addressing the impacts of marine plastic on wide-ranging species
Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds
Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world's oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast distances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened species. Outside the Mediterranean and Black seas, exposure risk is highest in the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of the USA, Japan, and the UK. Birds generally had higher plastic exposure risk outside the EEZ of the country where they breed. We identify conservation and research priorities, and highlight that international collaboration is key to addressing the impacts of marine plastic on wide-ranging species.B.L.C., C.H., and A.M. were funded by the Cambridge Conservation Initiative’s Collaborative Fund sponsored by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. E.J.P. was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council C-CLEAR doctoral training programme (Grant no. NE/S007164/1). We are grateful to all those who assisted with the collection and curation of tracking data. Further details are provided in the Supplementary Acknowledgements. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.Peer reviewe
Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds
Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world’s oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast distances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened species. Outside the Mediterranean and Black seas, exposure risk is highest in the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of the USA, Japan, and the UK. Birds generally had higher plastic exposure risk outside the EEZ of the country where they breed. We identify conservation and research priorities, and highlight that international collaboration is key to addressing the impacts of marine plastic on wide-ranging species
A single-photon source for quantum networking
Cavity quantum electrodynamics (cavity QED) with single atoms and single photons provides a promising route toward scalable quantum information processing (QIP) and computing. A strongly coupled atom-cavity system should act as a universal quantum interface, allowing the generation and storage of quantum information. This thesis describes the realisation of an atom-cavity system used for the production and manipulation of single photons. These photons are shown to exhibit strong sub-Poissonian statistics and indistinguishability, both prerequisites for their use in realistic quantum systems. Further, the ability to control the temporal shape and internal phase of the photons, as they are generated in the cavity, is demonstrated. This high degree of control presents a novel mechanism enabling the creation of arbitrary photonic quantum bits.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo
A single-photon source for quantum networking
Cavity quantum electrodynamics (cavity QED) with single atoms and single photons provides a promising route toward scalable quantum information processing (QIP) and computing. A strongly coupled atom-cavity system should act as a universal quantum interface, allowing the generation and storage of quantum information. This thesis describes the realisation of an atom-cavity system used for the production and manipulation of single photons. These photons are shown to exhibit strong sub-Poissonian statistics and indistinguishability, both prerequisites for their use in realistic quantum systems. Further, the ability to control the temporal shape and internal phase of the photons, as they are generated in the cavity, is demonstrated. This high degree of control presents a novel mechanism enabling the creation of arbitrary photonic quantum bits