No Arabic abstract
Generalized quantum measurements are an important extension of projective or von Neumann measurements, in that they can be used to describe any measurement that can be implemented on a quantum system. We describe how to realize two non-standard quantum measurements using cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED). The first measurement optimally and unabmiguously distinguishes between two non-orthogonal quantum states. The second example is a measurement that demonstrates superadditive quantum coding gain. The experimental tools used are single-atom unitary operations effected by Ramsey pulses and two-atom Tavis-Cummings interactions. We show how the superadditive quantum coding gain is affected by errors in the field-ionisation detection of atoms, and that even with rather high levels of experimental imperfections, a reasonable amount of superadditivity can still be seen. To date, these types of measurement have only been realized on photons. It would be of great interest to have realizations using other physical systems. This is for fundamental reasons, but also since quantum coding gain in general increases with code word length, and a realization using atoms could be more easily scaled than existing realizations using photons.
Ultracold $^{87}$Rb atoms are delivered into a high-finesse optical micro-cavity using a translating optical lattice trap and detected via the cavity field. The atoms are loaded into an optical lattice from a magneto-optic trap (MOT) and transported 1.5 cm into the cavity. Our cavity satisfies the strong-coupling requirements for a single intracavity atom, thus permitting real-time observation of single atoms transported into the cavity. This transport scheme enables us to vary the number of intracavity atoms from 1 to $>$100 corresponding to a maximum atomic cooperativity parameter of 5400, the highest value ever achieved in an atom--cavity system. When many atoms are loaded into the cavity, optical bistability is directly measured in real-time cavity transmission.
We study the dynamics of a pair of atoms, resonantly interacting with a single mode cavity, in the situation where the atoms enter the cavity with a time delay between them. Using time dependent coupling functions to represent the spatial profile of the mode, we considered the adiabatic limit of the system. Although the time evolution is mostly adiabatic, energy crossings play an important role in the system dynamics. Following from this, entanglement, and a procedure for cavity state teleportation are considered. We examine the behaviour of the system when we introduce decoherence, a finite detuning, and potential asymmetries in the coupling profiles of the atoms.
We propose a quantum enhanced interferometric protocol for gravimetry and force sensing using cold atoms in an optical lattice supported by a standing-wave cavity. By loading the atoms in partially delocalized Wannier-Stark states, it is possible to cancel the undesirable inhomogeneities arising from the mismatch between the lattice and cavity fields and to generate spin squeezed states via a uniform one-axis twisting model. The quantum enhanced sensitivity of the states is combined with the subsequent application of a compound pulse sequence that allows to separate atoms by several lattice sites. This, together with the capability to load small atomic clouds in the lattice at micrometric distances from a surface, make our setup ideal for sensing short-range forces. We show that for arrays of $10^4$ atoms, our protocol can reduce the required averaging time by a factor of $10$ compared to unentangled lattice-based interferometers after accounting for primary sources of decoherence.
The electronic spin degrees of freedom in semiconductors typically have decoherence times that are several orders of magnitude longer than other relevant timescales. A solid-state quantum computer based on localized electron spins as qubits is therefore of potential interest. Here, a scheme that realizes controlled interactions between two distant quantum dot spins is proposed. The effective long-range interaction is mediated by the vacuum field of a high finesse microcavity. By using conduction-band-hole Raman transitions induced by classical laser fields and the cavity-mode, parallel controlled-not operations and arbitrary single qubit rotations can be realized. Optical techniques can also be used to measure the spin-state of each quantum dot.
We propose a cavity-QED-based scheme of generating entanglement between atoms. The scheme is scalable to an arbitrary number of atoms, and can be used to generate a variety of multipartite entangled states such as the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger, W, and cluster states. Furthermore, with a role switching of atoms with photons, the scheme can be used to generate entanglement between cavity fields. We also introduce a scheme that can generate an arbitrary multipartite field graph state.