Showing papers on "Electromagnetically induced transparency published in 2013"
TL;DR: By combination of the self-learning loop for optimized optical preparation and improved dynamical decoupling, this work extends EIT storage times in a doped solid above 40 s and demonstrates storage of images by EIT for 1 min, a new benchmark for EIT-based memories.
Abstract: The maximal storage duration is an important benchmark for memories. In quantized media, storage times are typically limited due to stochastic interactions with the environment. Also, optical memories based on electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) suffer strongly from such decoherent effects. External magnetic control fields may reduce decoherence and increase EIT storage times considerably but also lead to complicated multilevel structures. These are hard to prepare perfectly in order to push storage times toward the theoretical limit, i.e., the population lifetime T(1). We present a self-learning evolutionary strategy to efficiently drive an EIT-based memory. By combination of the self-learning loop for optimized optical preparation and improved dynamical decoupling, we extend EIT storage times in a doped solid above 40 s. Moreover, we demonstrate storage of images by EIT for 1 min. These ultralong storage times set a new benchmark for EIT-based memories. The concepts are also applicable to other storage protocols.
351 citations
TL;DR: This work proposes an all-optical optical diode which requires neither magnetic fields nor strong input fields, and is based on a "moving" photonic crystal generated in a three-level electromagnetically induced transparency medium.
Abstract: Optical diodes controlling the flow of light are of principal significance for optical information processing. They transmit light from an input to an output, but not in the reverse direction. This breaking of time reversal symmetry is conventionally achieved via Faraday or nonlinear effects. For applications in a quantum network, features such as the abilities of all-optical control, on-chip integration, and single-photon operation are important. Here we propose an all-optical optical diode which requires neither magnetic fields nor strong input fields. It is based on a "moving" photonic crystal generated in a three-level electromagnetically induced transparency medium in which the refractive index of a weak probe is modulated by the moving periodic intensity of a strong standing coupling field with two detuned counterpropagating components. Because of the Doppler effect, the frequency range of the crystal's band gap for the probe copropagating with the moving crystal is shifted from that for the counterpropagating probe. This mechanism is experimentally demonstrated in a room temperature Cs vapor cell.
296 citations
TL;DR: It is demonstrated for the first time that Rb atoms excited in a vapor cell can also be used for vector microwave electrometry by using Rydberg-atom electromagnetically induced transparency.
Abstract: It is clearly important to pursue atomic standards for quantities like electromagnetic fields, time, length, and gravity. We have recently shown using Rydberg states that Rb atoms in a vapor cell can serve as a practical, compact standard for microwave electric field strength. Here we demonstrate for the first time that Rb atoms excited in a vapor cell can also be used for vector microwave electrometry by using Rydberg-atom electromagnetically induced transparency. We describe the measurements necessary to obtain an arbitrary microwave electric field polarization at a resolution of 0.5°. We compare the experiments to theory and find them to be in excellent agreement.
220 citations
TL;DR: The experiments show that the non-classical pair correlation between trigger photon and retrieved photon is retained, and the spatial structure of input and retrieved photons exhibits strong similarity, and it is demonstrated that single-photon coherence is preserved during storage.
Abstract: A quantum memory is a key component for quantum networks, which will enable the distribution of quantum information. Its successful development requires storage of single-photon light. Encoding photons with spatial shape through higher-dimensional states significantly increases their information-carrying capability and network capacity. However, constructing such quantum memories is challenging. Here we report the first experimental realization of a true single-photon-carrying orbital angular momentum stored via electromagnetically induced transparency in a cold atomic ensemble. Our experiments show that the non-classical pair correlation between trigger photon and retrieved photon is retained, and the spatial structure of input and retrieved photons exhibits strong similarity. More importantly, we demonstrate that single-photon coherence is preserved during storage. The ability to store spatial structure at the single-photon level opens the possibility for high-dimensional quantum memories.
210 citations
TL;DR: A nondestructive imaging method is demonstrated to monitor the migration of electronic excitations with high time and spatial resolution, using electromagnetically induced transparency on a background gas acting as an amplifier to determine the many-body dynamics of the energy transport.
Abstract: Electronically highly excited (Rydberg) atoms experience quantum state–changing interactions similar to Forster processes found in complex molecules, offering a model system to study the nature of dipole-mediated energy transport under the influence of a controlled environment. We demonstrate a nondestructive imaging method to monitor the migration of electronic excitations with high time and spatial resolution, using electromagnetically induced transparency on a background gas acting as an amplifier. The continuous spatial projection of the electronic quantum state under observation determines the many-body dynamics of the energy transport.
206 citations
TL;DR: The response of the metamaterial is polarization independent due to the symmetry of the structure and its spectral features are shown to be highly controllable by changing a gate voltage applied to the graphene patch.
Abstract: We report on a novel electrically tunable hybrid graphene-gold Fano resonator. The proposed metamaterial consists of a square graphene patch and a square gold frame. The destructive interference between the narrow- and broadband dipolar surface plasmons, which are induced respectively on the surfaces of the graphene patch and the gold frame, leads to the plasmonic equivalent of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). The response of the metamaterial is polarization independent due to the symmetry of the structure and its spectral features are shown to be highly controllable by changing a gate voltage applied to the graphene patch. Additionally, effective group index of the device is retrieved and is found to be very high within the EIT window suggesting its potential use in slow light applications. Potential outcomes such as high sensing ability and switching at terahertz frequencies are demonstrated through numerical simulations with realistic parameters.
195 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a thermally active superconductor-metal coupled resonator based hybrid terahertz metamaterial was demonstrated on a sapphire substrate that shows tunable transparency and slow light behavior.
Abstract: Structured plasmonic metamaterial devices offer the design flexibility to be size scaled for operation across the electromagnetic spectrum and are extremely attractive for generating electromagnetically induced transparency and slow-light behaviors via coupling of bright and dark subwavelength resonators. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a thermally active superconductor-metal coupled resonator based hybrid terahertz metamaterial on a sapphire substrate that shows tunable transparency and slow light behavior as the metamaterial chip is cooled below the high-temperature superconducting phase transition temperature. This hybrid metamaterial opens up the avenues for designing micro-sized active circuitry with switching, modulation, and “slowing down terahertz light” capabilities.
194 citations
TL;DR: The schemes explore the excitation of the Bogoliubov dark mode and the destructive quantum interference between the bright modes of the interface, similar to electromagnetically induced transparency, to eliminate leading-order effects of the mechanical noise.
Abstract: Entanglement is a key element in quantum information processing. Here, we present schemes to generate robust photon entanglement via optomechanical quantum interfaces in the strong coupling regime. The schemes explore the excitation of the Bogoliubov dark mode and the destructive quantum interference between the bright modes of the interface, similar to electromagnetically induced transparency, to eliminate leading-order effects of the mechanical noise. Both continuous-variable and discrete-state entanglements that are robust against the mechanical noise can be achieved. The schemes can be used to generate entanglement in hybrid quantum systems between, e.g., microwave photon and optical photon.
190 citations
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that pulsed transistorlike switching of transmission still works even in this regime, and it is shown that optomechanically induced transparency at the second mechanical sideband could be a sensitive tool to see first indications of the nonlinear quantum nature of the Optomechanical interaction even for single-photon coupling strengths significantly smaller than the cavity linewidth.
Abstract: Optomechanical systems have been shown both theoretically and experimentally to exhibit an analogon to atomic electromagnetically induced transparency, with sharp transmission features that are controlled by a second laser beam. Here we investigate these effects in the regime where the fundamental nonlinear nature of the optomechanical interaction becomes important. We demonstrate that pulsed transistorlike switching of transmission still works even in this regime. We also show that optomechanically induced transparency at the second mechanical sideband could be a sensitive tool to see first indications of the nonlinear quantum nature of the optomechanical interaction even for single-photon coupling strengths significantly smaller than the cavity linewidth.
179 citations
12 May 2013
TL;DR: In this article, the authors show OMIT in a room temperature optomechanical setup consisting of a thin semitransparent membrane within a high-finesse optical Fabry-Perot cavity.
Abstract: Summary form only given. In cavity optomechanics one can manipulate the dynamics of a nanomechanical resonator with light, and at the same time one can control light by tayloring its interaction with one (or more) mechanical resonances. A notable example of this kind of light beam control is provided by the optomechanical analogue of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), the so called optomechanically induced transparency (OMIT), which has been recently demonstrated [1-3]. In OMIT, the internal resonance of the medium is replaced by a dipole-like interaction of optical and mechanical degrees of freedom which occurs when the pump is tuned to the lower motional sideband of the cavity resonance. OMIT may offer various advantages with respect to standard atomic EIT: i) it does not rely on naturally occurring resonances and could therefore be applied to previously inaccessible wavelength regions; ii) a single optomechanical element can already achieve unity contrast, which in the atomic case is only possible within the setting of cavity quantum electrodynamics; iii) one can achieve significant optical delay times, since they are limited only by the mechanical resonance lifetime 1/γm. Previous OMIT demonstrations have been carried out in a cryogenic setup [1,2]; here we show OMIT in a room temperature optomechanical setup consisting of a thin semitransparent membrane within a high-finesse optical Fabry-Perot cavity [3]. Fig. 1 (left upper panel) shows the phase shift acquired by the probe beam during its transmission through the optomechanical cavity. The derivative of such a phase shift gives the group advance due to causality-preserving superluminal effects which a probe pulse spectrally contained within the transparency window would accumulate in its transmission through the cavity. From the fitting curve we infer a maximum signal time advance τT ≈ -108 ms, which is very close to the theoretical achievable maximum τTmax = -2C/[γm(1 +C)], which is -109 ms in our case where the optomechanical cooperativity is C = 160. The reflected field is instead delayed, and from the corresponding expression for the maximum time delay τRmax = 2/[γm(1 +C)], we can also infer a group delay of the reflected probe field τR ≈ 670 μs [3]. In the left lower panel the transparency frequency window in which the probe is completely reflected by the interference associated with the optomechanical interaction is evident. The width of the transparency window is related to the effective mechanical dampingγeffm ≈ γm(1 +C). Therefore both delay and width can be tuned by changing C which in our case is achieved by shifting the membrane along the cavity axis. This is illustrated in the right panel, where the modulus of the beat amplitude vs Δ is plotted for different positions shifts z0 of the membrane from a field node (see caption).
178 citations
TL;DR: This work significantly advances the technology of electromagnetically induced transparency-based optical memory and may find practical applications in long-distance quantum communication and optical quantum computation.
Abstract: A high-storage efficiency and long-lived quantum memory for photons is an essential component in long-distance quantum communication and optical quantum computation. Here, we report a 78% storage efficiency of light pulses in a cold atomic medium based on the effect of electromagnetically induced transparency. At 50% storage efficiency, we obtain a fractional delay of 74, which is the best up-to-date record. The classical fidelity of the recalled pulse is better than 90% and nearly independent of the storage time, as confirmed by the direct measurement of phase evolution of the output light pulse with a beat-note interferometer. Such excellent phase coherence between the stored and recalled light pulses suggests that the current result may be readily applied to single photon wave packets. Our work significantly advances the technology of electromagnetically induced transparency-based optical memory and may find practical applications in long-distance quantum communication and optical quantum computation.
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that placing a strong optical control field on the red (blue) detuned sideband of the optical mode produces coherent interference with a resonant probe beam, inducing a transparency (absorption) window for the probe.
Abstract: We demonstrate optomechanically mediated electromagnetically induced transparency and wavelength conversion in silicon nitride (Si_3N_4) microdisk resonators. Fabricated devices support whispering gallery optical modes with a quality factor (Q) of 10^6, and radial breathing mechanical modes with a Q = 10^4 and a resonance frequency of 625 MHz, so that the system is in the resolved sideband regime. Placing a strong optical control field on the red (blue) detuned sideband of the optical mode produces coherent interference with a resonant probe beam, inducing a transparency (absorption) window for the probe. This is observed for multiple optical modes of the device, all of which couple to the same mechanical mode, and which can be widely separated in wavelength due to the large band gap of Si_3N_4. These properties are exploited to demonstrate frequency up-conversion and down-conversion of optical signals between the 1300 and 980 nm bands with a frequency span of 69.4 THz.
TL;DR: The importance of an essential interdependence between the rate at which the system can be driven by an external field and its damping rate through radiative loss is demonstrated and predicted to predict a transition between EIT and electromagnetically induced absorption that is solely a function of the ratio of the radiative to intrinsic loss rates in coupled resonator systems.
Abstract: Coupled plasmonic resonators have become the subject of significant research interest in recent years as they provide a route to dramatically enhanced light-matter interactions. Often, the design of these coupled mode systems draws intuition and inspiration from analogies to atomic and molecular physics systems. In particular, they have been shown to mimic quantum interference effects, such as electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and Fano resonances. This analogy also been used to describe the surface-enhanced absorption effect where a plasmonic resonance is coupled to a weak molecular resonance. These important phenomena are typically described using simple driven harmonic (or linear) oscillators (i.e., mass-on-a-spring) coupled to each other. In this work, we demonstrate the importance of an essential interdependence between the rate at which the system can be driven by an external field and its damping rate through radiative loss. This link is required in systems exhibiting time-reversal symm...
TL;DR: Numerically, it is shown that by designing graphene nanostructures in such deep-subwavelength scales, one can obtain plasmonic modes with the desired radiative properties such as radiative and dark modes, analogous to the atomic EIT.
Abstract: Graphene has shown intriguing optical properties as a new class of plasmonic material in the terahertz regime. In particular, plasmonic modes in graphene nanostructures can be confined to a spatial size that is hundreds of times smaller than their corresponding wavelengths in vacuum. Here, we show numerically that by designing graphene nanostructures in such deep-subwavelength scales, one can obtain plasmonic modes with the desired radiative properties such as radiative and dark modes. By placing the radiative and dark modes in the vicinity of each other, we further demonstrate electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), analogous to the atomic EIT. At the transparent window, there exist very large group delays, one order of magnitude larger than those offered by metal structures. The EIT spectrum can be further tuned electrically by applying a gate voltage. Our results suggest that the demonstrated EIT based on graphene plasmonics may offer new possibilities for applications in photonics.
TL;DR: A novel planar plasmonic metamaterial for electromagnetically induced transparency and slow light characteristic is presented in this paper, which consists of nanoring and nanorod compound structures.
Abstract: A novel planar plasmonic metamaterial for electromagnetically induced transparency and slow light characteristic is presented in this paper, which consists of nanoring and nanorod compound structures. Two bright modes in the metamaterial are induced by the electric dipole resonance inside nanoring and nanorod, respectively. The coupling between two bright modes introduces transparency window and large group index. By adjusting the geometric parameters of metamaterial structure, the transmittance of EIT window at 385 THz is about 60%, and the corresponding group index and Q factor can reach up to 1.2 × 10³ and 97, respectively, which has an important application in slow-light device, active plasmonic switch, SERS and optical sensing.
TL;DR: It is theoretically and experimentally demonstrated that the radiance of a plasmonic mode can be classified into three different regimes, and it is shown that geometrical displacements and deformations at the Ångström scale can be detected optically by measuring theRadiance.
Abstract: Plasmonic modes with long radiative lifetimes combine strong nanoscale light confinement with a narrow spectral line width carrying the signature of Fano resonances, making them very promising for nanophotonic applications such as sensing, lasing, and switching. Their coupling to incident radiation, also known as radiance, determines their optical properties and optimal use in applications. In this work, we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that the radiance of a plasmonic mode can be classified into three different regimes. In the weak coupling regime, the line shape exhibits remarkable sensitivity to the dielectric environment. We show that geometrical displacements and deformations at the Angstrom scale can be detected optically by measuring the radiance. In the intermediate regime, the electromagnetic energy stored in the mode is maximal, with large electric field enhancements that can be exploited in surface enhanced spectroscopy applications. In the strong coupling regime, the interaction can result in hybridized modes with tunable energies.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors predict the existence of the electromagnetically induced absorption (EIA) in the double-cavity configurations of the hybrid opto-electromechanical systems (OEMS).
Abstract: We predict the existence of the electromagnetically induced absorption (EIA) in the double-cavity configurations of the hybrid opto-electromechanical systems (OEMS). We discuss the origin of the EIA in OEMS which exhibit the existence of an absorption peak within the transparency window. We provide analytical results for the width and the height of the EIA peak. The combination of the electromagnetically induced transparency and EIA is especially useful for photoswitching applications. The EIA that we discuss is different from the one originally discovered by Lezama et al. [Phys. Rev. A 59, 4732 (1999)] in atomic systems and can be understood in terms of the dynamics of three coupled oscillators (rather than two) under different conditions on the relaxation parameters. The EIA we report can also be realized in metamaterials and plasmonic structures.
TL;DR: A cooperative asymmetry-induced transparency, CAIT, formed by collective excitations in metamaterial arrays of discrete resonators is proposed, which can display a sharp transmission resonance even when the constituent resonators individually exhibit broad resonances.
Abstract: We propose a cooperative asymmetry-induced transparency, CAIT, formed by collective excitations in metamaterial arrays of discrete resonators. CAIT can display a sharp transmission resonance even when the constituent resonators individually exhibit broad resonances. We further show how dynamically reconfiguring the metamaterial allows one to actively control the transparency. While reminiscent of electromagnetically induced transparency, which can be described by independent emitters, CAIT relies on a cooperative response resulting from strong radiative couplings between the resonators.
TL;DR: In this structure, owing to Fano interference, the diffraction intensity of the grating, especially the first-order diffraction, can be significantly enhanced and this investigation may be used to develop novel photonic devices in semiconductor QW systems.
Abstract: We propose a scheme for obtaining an electromagnetically induced grating in an asymmetric semiconductor quantum well (QW) structure via Fano interference. In our structure, owing to Fano interference, the diffraction intensity of the grating, especially the first-order diffraction, can be significantly enhanced. The diffraction efficiency of the grating can be controlled efficiently by tuning the control field intensity, the interaction length, the coupling strength of tunneling, etc. This investigation may be used to develop novel photonic devices in semiconductor QW systems.
TL;DR: In this article, Tamm states on subwavelength, reconfigurable plasmonic crystals are studied in the terahertz regime and an electromagnetically induced transparency phenomenon is revealed.
Abstract: Tamm states on subwavelength, reconfigurable plasmonic crystals are studied in the terahertz regime. By introducing an independently controlled plasmonic defect, an electromagnetically induced transparency phenomenon is revealed.
TL;DR: The realization of plasmonic analog of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a system composing of two stub resonators side-coupled to metal-dielectric-metal (MDM) waveguide is demonstrated and it is found that the scheme is easy to be fabricated and may pave the way to highly integrated optical circuits.
Abstract: We demonstrate the realization of plasmonic analog of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a system composing of two stub resonators side-coupled to metal-dielectric-metal (MDM) waveguide. Based on the coupled mode theory (CMT) and Fabry-Perot (FP) model, respectively, the formation and evolution mechanisms of plasmon-induced transparency by direct and indirect couplings are exactly analyzed. For the direct coupling between the two stub resonators, the FWHM and group index of transparent window to the inter-space are more sensitive than to the width of one cut, and the high group index of up to 60 can be achieved. For the indirect coupling, the formation of transparency window is determined by the resonance detuning, but the evolution of transparency is mainly attributed to the change of coupling distance. The consistence between the analytical solution and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations verifies the feasibility of the plasmon-induced transparency system. It is also interesting to notice that the scheme is easy to be fabricated and may pave the way to highly integrated optical circuits.
TL;DR: In this paper, an optomechanical cavity made by two moving mirrors which contains a Kerr-down conversion nonlinear crystal was considered and it was shown that the coherent oscillations of the two mechanical oscil- lators can lead to splitting in the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) resonance and appearance of an absorption peak within the transparency window.
Abstract: We consider an optomechanical cavity made by two moving mirrors which contains a Kerr-down conversion nonlinear crystal. We show that the coherent oscillations of the two mechanical oscil- lators can lead to splitting in the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) resonance, and appearance of an absorption peak within the transparency window. In this configuration the coher- ent induced splitting of EIT is similar to driving a hyperfine transition in an atomic Lambda-type three-level system by a radio-frequency or microwave field. Also, we show that the presence of non- linearity provides an additional flexibility for adjusting the width of the transparency windows. The combination of an additional mechanical mode and the nonlinear crystal suggests new possibilities for adjusting the resonance frequency, the width and the spectral positions of the EIT windows as well as the enhancement of the absorption peak within the transparency window.
TL;DR: It is shown how to efficiently control and measure this current, including fluctuations, by coupling vibrons to internal ion states, which demonstrates that ion crystals provide an ideal platform for studying quantum transport, e.g., through thermal analogues of quantum wires and quantum dots.
Abstract: Measuring heat flow through nanoscale devices poses formidable practical difficulties as there is no "ampere meter" for heat. We propose to overcome this problem in a chain of trapped ions, where laser cooling the chain edges to different temperatures induces a heat current of local vibrations (vibrons). We show how to efficiently control and measure this current, including fluctuations, by coupling vibrons to internal ion states. This demonstrates that ion crystals provide an ideal platform for studying quantum transport, e.g., through thermal analogues of quantum wires and quantum dots. Notably, ion crystals may give access to measurements of the elusive bosonic fluctuations in heat currents and the onset of Fourier's law. Our results are strongly supported by numerical simulations for a realistic implementation with specific ions and system parameters.
TL;DR: In this article, the appearance and disappearance of optical bistability in an asymmetric three-coupled quantum well structure inside a unidirectional ring cavity was investigated.
Abstract: We investigate optical bistability (OB) behavior in an asymmetric three-coupled quantum well structure inside a unidirectional ring cavity. By controlling the assisting coherent driven field and the frequency detunings of the two control laser fields, we find that the appearance and disappearance of OB can easily be controlled by adjusting the positions of the dual electromagnetically induced transparency windows. Analysis in the dressed-state picture is also given. Our scheme may be used for building more efficient all-optical switches and logic-gate devices for optical computing and quantum information processing.
TL;DR: The results demonstrate the potential of diamond-EIT devices for applications ranging from quantum-optical memory to precision measurement and tests of fundamental physics.
Abstract: We use electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) to probe the narrow electron-spin resonance of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. Working with a multipass diamond chip at temperatures 6-30 K, the zero-phonon absorption line (637 nm) exhibits an optical depth of 6 and inhomogeneous linewidth of ~30 GHz FWHM. Simultaneous optical excitation at two frequencies separated by the ground-state zero-field splitting (2.88 GHz) reveals EIT resonances with a contrast exceeding 6% and FWHM down to 0.4 MHz. The resonances provide an all-optical probe of external electric and magnetic fields with a projected photon-shot-noise-limited sensitivity of 0.2 V/cm/√[Hz] and 0.1 nT/√[Hz], respectively. Operation of a prototype diamond-EIT magnetometer measures a noise floor of ~/<1 nT/√[Hz] for frequencies above 10 Hz and Allan deviation of 1.3±1.1 nT for 100 s intervals. The results demonstrate the potential of diamond-EIT devices for applications ranging from quantum-optical memory to precision measurement and tests of fundamental physics.
TL;DR: In this paper, a planar complementary metamaterial analogue of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) capable of exhibiting refractive index sensing with high sensitivity was proposed.
Abstract: We report on numerical work concerning a planar complementary metamaterial analogue of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) capable of exhibiting refractive index sensing with high sensitivity. The unit cell of the proposed complementary metamaterial consists of two cut-out nanostructures in a homogeneous metallic film, and can exhibit a sharply narrow reflectance transparency peak at near-infrared region breaking its structural symmetry. Moreover, the transparency peak shows highly sensitive response to the refractive index change in the surrounding medium. A complementary metamaterial sensor based on the EIT-like effect can yield a sensitivity of 928.9 nm/refractive index unit (RIU) and a figure of merit (FOM) of 19.2 increasing a supporting layer between the metamaterial and the substrate. The high sensitivity is attributed to the well-confined electric field and the increased spatial overlap between the induced local electric field and the surrounding medium. In addition, the sensitivity and FOM can be further improved by optimizing the asymmetric degree of two cut-out structures.
TL;DR: The dynamics of this process and asymptotic correlations are analyzed in terms of a time-dependent Luttinger theory and it is found that under typical slow-light conditions kinetic energy contributions are too strong for crystal formation.
Abstract: The coupling of weak light fields to Rydberg states of atoms under conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency leads to the formation of Rydberg polaritons which are quasiparticles with tunable effective mass and nonlocal interactions. Confined to one spatial dimension their low energy physics is that of a moving-frame Luttinger liquid which, due to the nonlocal character of the repulsive interaction, can form a Wigner crystal of individual photons. We calculate the Luttinger K parameter using density-matrix renormalization group simulations and find that under typical slow-light conditions kinetic energy contributions are too strong for crystal formation. However, adiabatically increasing the polariton mass by turning a light pulse into stationary spin excitations allows us to generate true crystalline order over a finite length. The dynamics of this process and asymptotic correlations are analyzed in terms of a time-dependent Luttinger theory.
TL;DR: Rigorous numerical analyses reveal that dielectric metamaterial exhibits sharp transparency peak characterized by large group index due to the destructive interference between EIT bright and dark resonators.
Abstract: In this manuscript, we demonstrate numerically classical analogy of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) with a windmill type metamaterial consisting of two dumbbell dielectric resonator. With proper external excitation, dielectric resonators serve as EIT bright and dark elements via electric and magnetic Mie resonances, respectively. Rigorous numerical analyses reveal that dielectric metamaterial exhibits sharp transparency peak characterized by large group index due to the destructive interference between EIT bright and dark resonators. Furthermore, such EIT transmission behavior keeps stable property with respect to polarization and incidence angles.
TL;DR: This work maps out the full nonlinear optical response as a function of atomic density and follows the temporal evolution of polaritons through the atomic cloud, indicating that photon correlations modified by the strong interactions have a significant backaction on the Rydberg atom statistics.
Abstract: We observe individual dark-state polaritons as they propagate through an ultracold atomic gas involving Rydberg states coupled via an electromagnetically induced transparency resonance. Strong long-range interactions between Rydberg excitations give rise to a blockade between polaritons, resulting in large optical nonlinearities and modified polariton number statistics. By combining optical imaging and high-fidelity detection of the Rydberg polaritons we investigate both aspects of this coupled atom-light system. We map out the full nonlinear optical response as a function of atomic density and follow the temporal evolution of polaritons through the atomic cloud. In the blockade regime, the statistical fluctuations of the polariton number drop well below the quantum noise limit. The low level of fluctuations indicates that photon correlations modified by the strong interactions have a significant backaction on the Rydberg atom statistics.
12 May 2013
TL;DR: In this paper, an ensemble of cold Cesium atoms trapped in a MOT, interacting with light via a Λ-type scheme on the D2 line, were analyzed for various values of the control Rabi frequency Ω between 0.1Γ and 4Γ, where Γ is the natural linewidth.
Abstract: Summary form only given. If in general the transparency of an initially absorbing medium for a probe field is increased by the presence of a control field on an adjacent transition, two very different processes can be invoked to explain it. One of them is a quantum Fano interference between two paths in the three-level system, which occurs even at low control intensity and gives rise to electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT), the other one is the appearance of two dressed states in the excited level at higher control intensity, corresponding to the Autler-Townes splitting (ATS). This distinction is particularly critical for instance for the implementation of slow light or optical quantum memories. In a recent paper, P. M. Anisimov, J. P. Dowling and B. C. Sanders proposed a quantitative test to objectively discerning ATS from EIT. We experimentally investigated this test with cold atoms and demonstrated that it is very sensitive to the specific properties of the medium. In this study, we use an ensemble of cold Cesium atoms trapped in a MOT, interacting with light via a Λ-type scheme on the D2 line. Absorption profiles are obtained for various values of the control Rabi frequency Ω between 0.1Γ and 4Γ, where Γ is the natural linewidth.