The faithful storage of a quantum bit (qubit) of light is essential for long-distance quantum communication, quantum networking and distributed quantum computing. The required optical quantum memory must be able to receive and recreate the photonic qubit; additionally, it must store an unknown quantum state of light better than any classical device. So far, these two requirements have been met only by ensembles of material particles that store the information in collective excitations. Recent developments, however, have paved the way for an approach in which the information exchange occurs between single quanta of light and matter. This single-particle approach allows the material qubit to be addressed, which has fundamental advantages for realistic implementations. First, it enables a heralding mechanism that signals the successful storage of a photon by means of state detection; this can be used to combat inevitable losses and finite efficiencies. Second, it allows for individual qubit manipulations, opening up avenues for in situ processing of the stored quantum information. Here we demonstrate the most fundamental implementation of such a quantum memory, by mapping arbitrary polarization states of light into and out of a single atom trapped inside an optical cavity. The memory performance is tested with weak coherent pulses and analysed using full quantum process tomography. The average fidelity is measured to be 93%, and low decoherence rates result in qubit coherence times exceeding 180 microseconds. This makes our system a versatile quantum node with excellent prospects for applications in optical quantum gates and quantum repeaters.

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A single-atom quantum memory

Free-electron beams are versatile probes of microscopic structure and composition1,2, and have revolutionized atomic-scale imaging in several fields, from solid-state physics to structural biology3. Over the past decade, the manipulation and interaction of electrons with optical fields have enabled considerable progress in imaging methods4, near-field electron acceleration5,6, and four-dimensional microscopy techniques with high temporal and spatial resolution7. However, electron beams typically couple only weakly to optical excitations, and emerging applications in electron control and sensing8–11 require large enhancements using tailored fields and interactions. Here we couple a free-electron beam to a travelling-wave resonant cavity mode. The enhanced interaction with the optical whispering-gallery modes of dielectric microresonators induces a strong phase modulation on co-propagating electrons, which leads to a spectral broadening of 700 electronvolts, corresponding to the absorption and emission of hundreds of photons. By mapping the near-field interaction with ultrashort electron pulses in space and time, we trace the lifetime of the the microresonator following a femtosecond excitation and observe the spectral response of the cavity. The natural matching of free electrons to these quintessential optical modes could enable the application of integrated photonics technology in electron microscopy, with broad implications for attosecond structuring, probing quantum emitters and possible electron–light entanglement. The coupling between light and relativistic free electrons is enhanced through phase matching of electrons with optical whispering-gallery modes in dielectric microspheres and through extended modal lifetimes.

Controlling free electrons with optical whispering-gallery modes

Chip-scale atomic devices combine elements of precision atomic spectroscopy, silicon micromachining, and advanced diode laser technology to create compact, low-power, and manufacturable instruments with high precision and stability. Microfabricated alkali vapor cells are at the heart of most of these technologies, and the fabrication of these cells is discussed in detail. We review the design, fabrication, and performance of chip-scale atomic clocks, magnetometers, and gyroscopes and discuss many applications in which these novel instruments are being used. Finally, we present prospects for future generations of miniaturized devices, such as photonically integrated systems and manufacturable devices, which may enable embedded absolute measurement of a broad range of physical quantities.

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Chip scale atomic devices

Optical nonreciprocity is important in photonic information processing to route the optical signal or prevent the reverse flow of noise. By adopting the strong nonlinearity associated with a few atoms in a strongly coupled cavity QED system and an asymmetric cavity configuration, we experimentally demonstrate the nonreciprocal transmission between two counterpropagating light fields with extremely low power. The transmission of 18% is achieved for the forward light field, and the maximum blocking ratio for the reverse light is 30 dB. Though the transmission of the forward light can be maximized by optimizing the impedance matching of the cavity, it is ultimately limited by the inherent loss of the scheme. This nonreciprocity can even occur on a few-photon level due to the high optical nonlinearity of the system. The working power can be flexibly tuned by changing the effective number of atoms strongly coupled to the cavity. The idea and result can be applied to optical chips as optical diodes by using fiber-based cavity QED systems. Our work opens up new perspectives for realizing optical nonreciprocity on a few-photon level based on the nonlinearities of atoms strongly coupled to an optical cavity.

Realization of Nonlinear Optical Nonreciprocity on a Few-Photon Level Based on Atoms Strongly Coupled to an Asymmetric Cavity.

In this thesis, we present new tools for the study of quantum systems and propose several novel schemes for practical applications in quantum information science. We explore two main topics, engineered dissipation and light-matter quantum interfaces, and investigate both with a focus on collective effects that arise if a large number of particles interact coherently with an optical quantum field. To this end, we study atomic vapor at room temperature interacting with light. We also consider ultracold atoms in optical lattices, Bose-Einstein condensates and single atoms in optical cavities for the implementation of the ideas and schemes put forward here.

https://mediatum.ub.tum.de/doc/1083284/file.pdf

Quantum Information Processing with Atoms and Photons

Deterministic quantum interactions between single photons and single quantum emitters are a vital building block towards the distribution of quantum information between remote systems1–4. Deterministic photon–atom state transfer has previously been demonstrated with protocols that include active feedback or synchronized control pulses5–10. Here we demonstrate a passive swap operation between the states of a single photon and a single atom. The underlying mechanism is single-photon Raman interaction11–15—an interference-based scheme that leads to deterministic interaction between two photonic modes and the two ground states of a Λ-system. Using a nanofibre-coupled microsphere resonator coupled to single Rb atoms, we swap a photonic qubit into the atom and back, demonstrating fidelities exceeding the classical threshold of 2/3 in both directions. In this simultaneous write and read process, the returning photon, which carries the readout of the atomic qubit, also heralds the successful arrival of the write photon. Requiring no control fields, this single-step gate takes place automatically at the timescale of the atom’s cavity-enhanced spontaneous emission. Applicable to any waveguide-coupled Λ-system, this mechanism, which can also be harnessed to construct universal gates16,17, provides a versatile building block for the modular scaling up of quantum information systems. Demonstration of a passive swap gate between the states of a fibre-guided photonic qubit and a single atom.

A passive photon–atom qubit swap operation

We introduce a multi-step protocol for optical quantum state engineering that performs as “bright quantum scissors,” namely truncating an arbitrary input quantum state to have at least a certain number of photons. The protocol exploits single-photon pulses and is based on the effect of single-photon Raman interaction, which is implemented with a single three-level Λ system (e.g., a single atom) Purcell-enhanced by a single-sided cavity. A single step of the protocol realizes the inverse of the bosonic annihilation operator. Multiple iterations of the protocol can be used to deterministically generate a chain of single photons in a W state. Alternatively, upon appropriate heralding, the protocol can be used to generate Fock-state optical pulses. This protocol could serve as a useful and versatile building block for the generation of advanced optical quantum states that are vital for quantum communication, distributed quantum information processing, and all-optical quantum computing.

/pdf/generation-of-optical-fock-and-w-states-with-single-atom-3gzaesbppp.pdf

Generation of optical Fock and W states with single-atom-based bright quantum scissors

We introduce a multi-step protocol for optical quantum state engineering that performs as deterministic "bright quantum scissors" (BQS), namely truncates an arbitrary input quantum state to have at least a certain number of photons. The protocol exploits single-photon pulses and is based on the effect of single-photon Raman interaction, which is implemented with a single three-level $\Lambda$ system (e.g. a single atom) Purcell-enhanced by a single-sided cavity. A single step of the protocol realises the inverse of the bosonic annihilation operator. Multiple iterations of the protocol can be used to deterministically generate a chain of single-photons in a W state. Alternatively, upon appropriate heralding, the protocol can be used to generate Fock-state optical pulses. This protocol could serve as a useful and versatile building block for the generation of advanced optical quantum states that are vital for quantum communication, distributed quantum information processing, and all-optical quantum computing.

/pdf/generation-of-optical-fock-and-w-states-with-single-atom-52n3qv2w4x.pdf

Photonic measurement-based quantum computation (MBQC) is a promising route towards fault-tolerant universal quantum computing. A central challenge in this effort is the huge overhead in the resources required for the construction of large photonic clusters using probabilistic linear-optics gates. Although strong single-photon nonlinearity ideally enables deterministic construction of such clusters, it is challenging to realise in a scalable way. Here we explore the prospects of using moderate nonlinearity (with conditional phase shifts smaller than $\pi$) to boost photonic quantum computing and significantly reduce its resources overhead. The key element in our scheme is a nonlinear router that preferentially directs photonic wavepackets to different output ports depending on their intensity. As a relevant example, we analyze the nonlinearity provided by Rydberg blockade in atomic ensembles, in which the trade-off between the nonlinearity and the accompanying loss is well understood. We present protocols for efficient Bell measurement and GHZ-state preparation -- both key elements in the construction of cluster states, as well as for the CNOT gate and quantum factorization. Given the large number of entangling operations involved in fault-tolerant MBQC, the increase in success probability provided by our protocols already at moderate nonlinearity can result in a dramatic reduction in the required resources.

Boosting photonic quantum computation with moderate nonlinearity

Deterministic quantum interactions between single photons and single quantum emitters are a vital building block towards the distribution of quantum information between remote systems. Deterministic photon-atom state transfer has been demonstrated by using protocols that include active feedback or synchronized control pulses. Here we demonstrate a completely passive swap gate between the states of a single photon and a single atom. The underlying mechanism is single-photon Raman interaction (SPRINT) - an interference-based effect in which a photonic qubit deterministically controls the state of a material qubit encoded in the two ground states of a {\Lambda} system, and vice versa. Using a nanofiber-coupled microsphere resonator coupled to single Rb atoms we swap a photonic qubit into the atom and back, demonstrating nonclassical fidelities in both directions. Requiring no control fields or feedback protocol, the gate takes place automatically at the timescale of the atom's cavity- enhanced spontaneous emission time. Applicable to any waveguide-coupled {\Lambda} system, this scheme provides a versatile building block for the modular scaling up of quantum information processing systems.

Ziv Aqua

Papers

A passive photon–atom qubit swap operation

Generation of optical Fock and W states with single-atom-based bright quantum scissors

Generation of optical Fock and W states with single-atom-based bright quantum scissors

Boosting photonic quantum computation with moderate nonlinearity

Demonstration of a passive photon-atom swap gate