Stopped and stationary light at the single-photon level inside a hollow-core fiber

An experimental platform operating at the level of individual quanta and providing strong light-matter coupling is a key requirement for quantum information processing. We report on narrowband light storage and retrieval as well as stationary light, based on electromagnetically induced transparency, for weak coherent light pulses down to the single-photon level with a signal-to-noise ratio of 59. The experiments were carried out with laser-cooled atoms loaded into a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber to provide strong light-matter coupling, thereby demonstrating the prospects for future quantum networks of such a platform

Stationary light pulses and narrowband light storage in a laser-cooled ensemble loaded into a hollow-core fiber

We report on the first observation of stationary light pulses and narrowband light storage inside a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber. Laser-cooled atoms were first loaded into the fiber core providing strong light-matter coupling. Light pulses were then stored in a collective atomic excitation using a single control laser beam. By applying a second counterpropagating control beam, a light pulse could be brought to a standstill. Our work paves the way towards the creation of strongly-correlated many-body systems with photons and applications in the field of quantum information processing