Efficient microwave-to-optical conversion using Rydberg atoms

Vogt, Thibault; Groß, Christian; Han, Jingshan; Pal, Semanti; Lam, Mark; Kiffner, Martin; Li, Wenhui

doi:10.1103/physreva.99.023832

Cited by 57 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Practically, this level of performance implies efficiency approaching 100%, low noise, and enough bandwidth for the desired signals [11]. Some of the most promising approaches toward quantum transduction have used electro-or piezo-optomechanical devices [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23], nonlinear crystals that display a Pockels electro-optic (EO) effect [24][25][26][27][28][29], trapped atoms [30,31], crystals doped with rare-earth ions [32,33], and optomagnonic devices [34]. Although quantum coherent performance has proved challenging to realize, the optomechanical approach -the leading platform to date -has achieved bidirectional operation [12], high efficiency [13,20], and single-quantum scale noise levels [21,35].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cavity electro-optics in thin-film lithium niobate for efficient microwave-to-optical transduction

Holzgrafe¹,

Sinclair²,

Zhu³

et al. 2020

Optica

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Linking superconducting quantum devices to optical fibers via microwave-optical quantum transducers may enable large-scale quantum networks. For this application, transducers based on the Pockels electro-optic (EO) effect are promising for their direct conversion mechanism, high bandwidth, and potential for low-noise operation. However, previously demonstrated EO transducers require large optical pump power to overcome weak EO coupling and reach high efficiency. Here, we create an EO transducer in thin-film lithium niobate, a platform that provides low optical loss and strong EO coupling. We demonstrate on-chip transduction efficiencies of up to and of optical pump power. The transduction efficiency can be improved by further reducing the microwave resonator’s piezoelectric coupling to acoustic modes, increasing the optical resonator quality factor to previously demonstrated levels, and changing the electrode geometry for enhanced EO coupling. We expect that with further development, EO transducers in thin-film lithium niobate can achieve near-unity efficiency with low optical pump power.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cavity electro-optics in thin-film lithium niobate for efficient microwave-to-optical transduction

Holzgrafe¹,

Sinclair²,

Zhu³

et al. 2020

Optica

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“…Both of these experiments were carried out in the classical regime, with a significant thermal environment, and a maximum conversion efficiency of

η = 3 \times 10^{- 3}

was demonstrated. By ensuring all waves propagate along the same axis, the efficiency was subsequently improved to

η = 0.05

, despite the absence of resonant enhancement of the microwave field. An all‐resonant system may be able to achieve

η = 0.7

.…”

Section: Experimental Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coherent Conversion Between Microwave and Optical Photons—An Overview of Physical Implementations

et al. 2019

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Quantum information technology based on solid state qubits has created much interest in converting quantum states from the microwave to the optical domain. Optical photons, unlike microwave photons, can be transmitted by fiber, making them suitable for long distance quantum communication. Moreover, the optical domain offers access to a large set of very well‐developed quantum optical tools, such as highly efficient single‐photon detectors and long‐lived quantum memories. For a high fidelity microwave to optical transducer, efficient conversion at single photon level and low added noise is needed. Currently, the most promising approaches to build such systems are based on second‐order nonlinear phenomena such as optomechanical and electro‐optic interactions. Alternative approaches, although not yet as efficient, include magneto‐optical coupling and schemes based on isolated quantum systems like atoms, ions, or quantum dots. Herein, the necessary theoretical foundations for the most important microwave‐to‐optical conversion experiments are provided, their implementations are described, and the current limitations and future prospects are discussed.

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“…∆ 2 , ∆ 3 , and ∆ 4 are respectively the one-, two-, and three-photon detunings; Γ 12 , Γ 23 , and Γ 24 are the spontaneous emission decay rates from |2 to |1 , |3 to |2 , and |4 to |2 , respectively. The microwave field employed here is to realize a microwave-dressed Rydberg-EIT [69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83] and thus to modify the Rydberg-Rydberg interaction, which, in turn, can manipulate the interaction strength and sign for the photons in the probe field and hence realize self-organized optical structures not discovered before.…”

Section: A Physical Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this work, we propose and analyze a scheme for realizing various self-organized optical structures and their structural phase transition in a cold Rydberg atomic gas via a Rydberg-EIT [67,68]. By exploiting a microwave dressing (i.e., a microwave field couples two electrically excited Rydberg states) [69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83], we show that the nonlocal Kerr nonlinearity of the Rydberg gas (which has only a repulsive Rydberg-Rydberg interaction in the absence of the microwave field) is significantly modified, and its strength and sign can be tuned actively. Based on such nonlocal Kerr nonlinearity, we demonstrate that a homogeneous (plane wave) state of probe laser field can undergo MI and hence spontaneous symmetry breaking, which may result in the formation of various ordered optical patterns.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structural phase transitions of optical patterns in atomic gases with microwave-controlled Rydberg interactions

Shi

Huang

2020

Phys. Rev. A

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Spontaneous symmetry breaking and formation of self-organized structures in nonlinear systems are intriguing and important phenomena in nature. Advancing such research to new nonlinear optical regimes is of much interest for both fundamental physics and practical applications. Here we propose a scheme to realize optical pattern formation in a cold Rydberg atomic gas via electromagnetically induced transparency. We show that, by coupling two Rydberg states with a microwave field (microwave dressing), the nonlocal Kerr nonlinearity of the Rydberg gas can be enhanced significantly and may be tuned actively. Based on such nonlocal Kerr nonlinearity, we demonstrate that a plane-wave state of probe laser field can undergo a modulation instability (MI) and hence spontaneous symmetry breaking, which may result in the emergence of various self-organized optical patterns. Especially, we find that a hexagonal lattice pattern (which is the only optical pattern when the microwave dressing is absent) may develop into several types of square lattice ones when the microwave dressing is applied; moreover, as a outcome of the MI the formation of nonlocal optical solitons is also possible in the system. Different from earlier studies, the optical patterns and nonlocal optical solitons found here can be flexibly manipulated by adjusting the effective probe-field intensity, nonlocality degree of the Kerr nonlinearity, and the strength of the microwave field. Our work opens a route for versatile controls of self-organizations and structural phase transitions of laser light, which may have potential applications in optical information processing and transmission.

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Efficient microwave-to-optical conversion using Rydberg atoms

Cited by 57 publications

References 29 publications

Cavity electro-optics in thin-film lithium niobate for efficient microwave-to-optical transduction

Cavity electro-optics in thin-film lithium niobate for efficient microwave-to-optical transduction

Coherent Conversion Between Microwave and Optical Photons—An Overview of Physical Implementations

Structural phase transitions of optical patterns in atomic gases with microwave-controlled Rydberg interactions

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