No Arabic abstract
We propose a single-atom, cavity quantum electrodynamics system, compatible with recently demonstrated, fiber-integrated micro- and nano-cavity setups, for the on-demand production of optical number-state, $0N$-state, and binomial-code-state pulses. The scheme makes use of Raman transitions within an entire atomic ground-state hyperfine level and operates with laser and cavity fields detuned from the atomic transition by much more than the excited-state hyperfine splitting. This enables reduction of the dynamics to that of a simple, cavity-damped Tavis-Cummings model with the collective spin determined by the total angular momentum of the ground hyperfine level.
Single-photon sources based on optical parametric processes have been used extensively for quantum information applications due to their flexibility, room-temperature operation and potential for photonic integration. However, the intrinsically probabilistic nature of these sources is a major limitation for realizing large-scale quantum networks. Active feedforward switching of photons from multiple probabilistic sources is a promising approach that can be used to build a deterministic source. However, previous implementations of this approach that utilize spatial and/or temporal multiplexing suffer from rapidly increasing switching losses when scaled to a large number of modes. Here, we break this limitation via frequency multiplexing in which the switching losses remain fixed irrespective of the number of modes. We use the third-order nonlinear process of Bragg scattering four-wave mixing as an efficient ultra-low noise frequency switch and demonstrate multiplexing of three frequency modes. We achieve a record generation rate of $4.6times10^4$ multiplexed photons per second with an ultra-low $g^{2}(0)$ = 0.07, indicating high single-photon purity. Our scalable, all-fiber multiplexing system has a total loss of just 1.3 dB independent of the number of multiplexed modes, such that the 4.8 dB enhancement from multiplexing three frequency modes markedly overcomes switching loss. Our approach offers a highly promising path to creating a deterministic photon source that can be integrated on a chip-based platform.
A single photon source is realized with a cold atomic ensemble ($^{87}$Rb atoms). In the experiment, single photons, which is initially stored in an atomic quantum memory generated by Raman scattering of a laser pulse, can be emitted deterministically at a time-delay in control. It is shown that production rate of single photons can be enhanced by a feedback circuit considerably while the single-photon quality is conserved. Thus our present single-photon source is well suitable for future large-scale realization of quantum communication and linear optical quantum computation.
Single-photon pulses cannot be generated on demand, due to incompatible requirements of positive frequencies and positive times. Resulting states therefore contain small probabilities for multiphotons. We derive upper and lower bounds for the maximum fidelity of realizable states that approximate single-photon pulses. The bounds have implications for ultrafast optics; the maximum fidelity is low for pulses with few cycles or close to the onset, but increases rapidly as the pulse envelope varies more slowly. We also demonstrate strictly localized states that are close to single photons.
We present a deterministic approach based on continuous measurement and real-time quantum feedback control to prepare arbitrary photon number states of a cavity mode. The procedure passively monitors the number state actually achieved in each feedback stabilized measurement trajectory, thus providing a nondestructively verifiable photon source. The feasibility of a possible cavity QED implementation in the many-atom good-cavity coupling regime is analyzed.
An experiment is performed where a single rubidium atom trapped within a high-finesse optical cavity emits two independently triggered entangled photons. The entanglement is mediated by the atom and is characterized both by a Bell inequality violation of S=2.5, as well as full quantum-state tomography, resulting in a fidelity exceeding F=90%. The combination of cavity-QED and trapped atom techniques makes our protocol inherently deterministic - an essential step for the generation of scalable entanglement between the nodes of a distributed quantum network.