Phase shaping of single-photon wave packets

Specht, Holger P.; Bochmann, Jörg; Mücke, Martin; Weber, Bernhard; Figueroa, Eden; Moehring, D. L.; Rempe, Gerhard

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2009.115

Cited by 117 publications

(108 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…To optimize the transmission of quantum information, the ability to frequency convert (FC) and reshape optical pulses, while preserving their quantum states, is essential. This ability also enables new physical paradigms, such as the modification of two-photon Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference [5][6][7] and photon concealment [8].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantum-state-preserving optical frequency conversion and pulse reshaping by four-wave mixing

McKinstrie¹,

Mejling

Raymer

et al. 2012

Phys. Rev. A

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confidence: 99%

Quantum-state-preserving optical frequency conversion and pulse reshaping by four-wave mixing

McKinstrie¹,

Mejling

Raymer

et al. 2012

Phys. Rev. A

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“…This problem can be overcome using single photons with controlled temporal waveform produced directly from atom-cavity-based schemes [27,28]. Other lossless single-photon shaping techniques may implement phase-frequency modulation [29] and dispersion compensation [30]. In a three-level atomic system (such as ectromagnetically induced transparency [6,31]) with an additional control laser field, a single photon with an arbitrary temporal profile can be captured efficiently by either a single atom strongly coupled inside an optical cavity [32,33] or an atomic ensemble at a high OD in free space [34,35].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Coherent Control of Single-Photon Absorption and Reemission in a Two-Level Atomic Ensemble

et al. 2012

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We demonstrate coherent control of single-photon absorption and reemission in a two-level cold atomic ensemble. This is achieved by interfering the incident single-photon wave packet with the emission (or scattering) wave. For a photon with an exponential growth waveform with a time constant equal to the excited-state lifetime, we observe that the single-photon emission probability during the absorption can be suppressed due to the perfect destructive interference. After the incident photon waveform is switched off, the absorbed photon is then reemitted to the same spatial mode as that of the incident photon with an efficiency of 20%. For a photon with an exponential decay waveform with the same time constant, both the absorption and reemission occur within the waveform duration. Our experimental results suggest that the absorption and emission of a single photon in a two-level atomic ensemble may possibly be manipulated by shaping its waveform in the time domain. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.263601 PACS numbers: 42.50.Nn, 03.65.Ta, 32.80.Qk, 42.50.Ct Photon absorption and emission are two key probes to study the light-matter quantum interaction, which lays down the foundations for atomic, molecular, and optical physics [1][2][3]. When a coherent optical pulse propagates through a medium, the absorption and emission can coherently modify its spectral components and lead to many interesting and important optical phenomena, such as attenuation, amplification, distortion, and slow and fast light effects [4][5][6][7][8]. For a single photon, causality requires that the absorption and reemission follow the right time order: the reemission can only occur following the absorption. Although this quantum time order has been observed as the antibunching effect in resonance fluorescence measured by two-photon correlations [9,10], it is not controllable on demand in these experiments. When a single photon enters a two-level atomic medium, the absorption and emission usually both occur within the photon pulse duration. Recently, Scully et al. proposed a scheme for observing directed ''spontaneous'' emission excited by a single photon [11].In this Letter, we demonstrate coherent control of singlephoton absorption and reemission in a two-level cold atomic ensemble in free space by shaping the singlephoton waveform. Making use of the destructive interference between the emission (or scattering) and the incident photon wave packet, we show that the probability of reemitting the photon during the absorption can be completely suppressed when the incident photon has an exponential growth waveform with a time constant equal to the excitedstate lifetime. The reemission process only starts after the incident photon waveform is switched off and thus can be controlled on demand. This technique can be used to efficiently excite atoms with a given single atom. Our result may have potential applications in the quantum networks that require efficient conversion between flying single-photon states and local atomic states [12]. Figure 1 i...

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“…No coincidence detections are expected in case the two single-photon wave packets are identical and thus coherent. If the two wave packets have different frequencies or, more general, exhibit a different phase evolution, a pronounced quantum beat is observed in the relative detection times of the two photons, provided the time resolution of the two detectors is high enough [17,18]. If the observed beat has a full visibility, the two photons are coherent with respect to each other, although they are distinguishable due to their different frequencies.…”

Section: Coherent Single Photonsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantum optics and cavity QED Quantum network with individual atoms and photons

Rempe

2013

EPJ Web of Conferences

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Abstract. Quantum physics allows a new approach to information processing. A grand challenge is the realization of a quantum network for long-distance quantum communication and large-scale quantum simulation. This paper highlights a first implementation of an elementary quantum network with two fibre-linked high-finesse optical resonators, each containing a single quasi-permanently trapped atom as a stationary quantum node. Reversible quantum state transfer between the two atoms and entanglement of the two atoms are achieved by the controlled exchange of a time-symmetric single photon. This approach to quantum networking is efficient and offers a clear perspective for scalability. It allows for arbitrary topologies and features controlled connectivity as well as, in principle, infinite-range interactions. Our system constitutes the largest man-made material quantum system to date and is an ideal test bed for fundamental investigations, e.g. quantum non-locality.

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Phase shaping of single-photon wave packets

Cited by 117 publications

References 23 publications

Quantum-state-preserving optical frequency conversion and pulse reshaping by four-wave mixing

Quantum-state-preserving optical frequency conversion and pulse reshaping by four-wave mixing

Coherent Control of Single-Photon Absorption and Reemission in a Two-Level Atomic Ensemble

Quantum optics and cavity QED Quantum network with individual atoms and photons

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