Understanding of Collective Atom Phase Control in Modified Photon Echoes for a Near-Perfect Storage Time-Extended Quantum Memory (original) (raw)

Collective atom phase controls in photon echoes for quantum memory applications I: Population inversion removal

arXiv: Quantum Physics, 2016

Photon echo-based quantum memories demonstrated in rare-earth doped solids over the last decade have solved the major constraint of population inversion in conventional photon echoes by using collective atom phase controls. Both atomic frequency comb and gradient echoes have also made a breakthrough in higher echo efficiency, where conventional photon echo efficiency remains at a few per cent. Here we review, analyze, and discuss the collective atom phase control applied to conventional photon echoes for quantum memory applications to clarify fundamental physics of coherent transients in a three-level system specifically for optical-spin coherence conversion in a controlled double rephasing echoes. Some critical misunderstandings in various protocols are also analyzed, and corrected for near unity echo efficiency under no population inversion.

Analysis of controlled coherence conversion in a double rephasing scheme of photon echoes for quantum memories

arXiv: Quantum Physics, 2016

A controlled double rephasing (CDR) photon echo is analyzed for inversion-free photon echoes using controlled coherence conversion (CCC), where an optical Rabi flopping between an excited and an auxiliary ground states is used for atom phase control for emissive photon echoes. Unlike the rephasing mechanism in photon echoes, the CCC induces coherence inversion to the intrinsic absorptive echoes in a double rephasing scheme. Thus, the CDR echo protocol can be vastly applied for modified photon-echo quantum memories.

Coherent control of collective atom phase for ultralong, inversion-free photon echoes

Physical Review A, 2012

To overcome fundamental limitations of the  optical pulse-induced population inversion and optical decay-caused short storage time in conventional photon echoes, a coherent control of collective atoms is studied for inversion-free, optical decay-halted photon echoes, where the constraint of photon storage time is now replaced by a spin population decay process. Using phase-controlled double rephasing, an inversion-free photon echo scheme is obtained, where no spontaneous or stimulated emission-driven quantum noise exists. Thus, the present method can be applied for ultralong quantum memories in quantum repeaters for long-distance quantum communications.

Analysis of Controlled Rabi Flopping in a Double Rephasing Photon Echo Scheme for Quantum Memories

Entropy

A double rephasing scheme of a photon echo is analyzed for inversion-free photon echo-based quantum memories using controlled Rabi flopping, where the Rabi flopping is used for phase control of collective atom coherence. Unlike the rephasing-caused π-phase shift in a single rephasing scheme, the control Rabi flopping between the excited state and an auxiliary third state induces coherence inversion. Thus, the absorptive photon echo in a double rephasing scheme can be manipulated to be emissive. Here, we present a quantum coherence control of atom phases in a double rephasing photon echo scheme for emissive photon echoes for quantum memory applications.

Gaussian beam-caused imperfect rephasing in photon echo-based quantum memories

arXiv: Quantum Physics, 2017

A double rephasing photon echo scheme inherently satisfies no-population inversion condition for quantum memory applications, while the resultant absorptive coherence prohibits echo radiation out of the medium. To solve this absorptive echo problem, a controlled coherence conversion (CCC) has been proposed and demonstrated for the collective atom phase control converting an absorptive echo into an emissive one. The recent observations of absorptive photon echoes in double rephasing schemes, however, seemingly contradict the CCC theory. Here the rephasing process of individual ensemble atoms is investigated by using typical Gaussian light pulses to prove that the absorptive echo observations are due to imperfect rephasing-caused coherence leakage. Although the imperfect rephasing-cuased photon echoes has nothing to do with fidelity, the lower retrieval efficiency limits quantum memory applications due to potential eavesdropping caused by device-dependent loopholes or limited quantum ...

Collective atom phase-controlled noise-free photon echoes using double rephasing and optical locking

arXiv: Quantum Physics, 2011

Using collective atom phase control a population inversion-free photon echo scheme has been studied for quantum memory applications. For the inversion-free photon echoes a double rephasing method is combined with optical locking, where the optical locking coherently controls each atom phase excited by weak data pulses. As a result, intensity flattened, normally ordered, storage time-extended, and noise-free photon echoes are obtained.

Atom phase controlled noise-free photon echoes

2011

Rephasing in photon echoes is a fundamental mechanism of retrieving optical information stored in a collective ensemble of atoms or ions. With an extremely weak quantum optical data, population inversion by the rephasing process is inevitable resulting in serious quantum noise. Here, an inversion-free rephasing method in photon echoes is presented by using deshelving-based atom phase control. The present method makes photon echoes directly applicable to quantum memories with benefits of extended photon storage time and nearly perfect retrieval efficiency. In this revised version only the rephasing pulse propagation direction is corrected to make a silent echo of E1 in Fig. 1.

Analysis of Imperfect Rephasing in Photon Echo-Based Quantum Memories

Entropy

Over the last two decades, quantum memories have been intensively studied for potential applications of quantum repeaters in quantum networks. Various protocols have also been developed. To satisfy no noise echoes caused by spontaneous emission processes, a conventional two-pulse photon-echo scheme has been modified. The resulting methods include double-rephasing, ac Stark, dc Stark, controlled echo, and atomic frequency comb methods. In these methods, the main purpose of modification is to remove any chance of a population residual on the excited state during the rephasing process. Here, we investigate a typical Gaussian rephasing pulse-based double-rephasing photon-echo scheme. For a complete understanding of the coherence leakage by the Gaussian pulse itself, ensemble atoms are thoroughly investigated for all temporal components of the Gaussian pulse, whose maximum echo efficiency is 26% in amplitude, which is unacceptable for quantum memory applications.

A controlled ac Stark echo for quantum memories

Scientific Reports

A quantum memory protocol of controlled ac Stark echoes (CASE) based on a double rephasing photon echo scheme via controlled Rabi flopping is proposed. The double rephasing scheme of photon echoes inherently satisfies the no-population inversion requirement for quantum memories, but the resultant absorptive echo remains a fundamental problem. Herein, it is reported that the first echo in the double rephasing scheme can be dynamically controlled so that it does not affect the second echo, which is accomplished by using unbalanced ac Stark shifts. Then, the second echo is coherently controlled to be emissive via controlled coherence conversion. Finally a near perfect ultralong CASE is presented using a backward echo scheme. Compared with other methods such as dc Stark echoes, the present protocol is all-optical with advantages of wavelength-selective dynamic control of quantum processing for erasing, buffering, and channel multiplexing.

A wavelength-convertible quantum memory: Controlled echo

Scientific Reports

A wavelength-convertible quantum memory: Controlled echo Byoung S. Ham Quantum coherence control is reinvestigated for a new physical insight in quantum nonlinear optics and applied for a wavelength-convertible quantum memory in a solid ensemble whose spin states are inhomogeneously broadened. Unlike typical atomic media whose spin decays are homogeneous, a spin inhomogeneously broadened solid ensemble requires a counter-intuitive quantum coherence control to avoid spontaneous emission-caused quantum noises. Such a quantum coherence control in a solid ensemble satisfying both near perfect retrieval efficiency and ultralong photon storage offers a solid framework to quantum repeaters, scalable qubit generations, quantum cryptography, and highly sensitive magnetometry. Here, the basic physics of the counter-intuitive quantum coherence control is presented not only for a fundamental understanding of collective ensemble phase control but also for a coherence conversion mechanism between optical and spin states involving Raman rephasing.