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High-speed noise-free optical quantum memory

High-speed noise-free optical quantum memory
High-speed noise-free optical quantum memory

Optical quantum memories are devices that store and recall quantum light and are vital to the realization of future photonic quantum networks. To date, much effort has been put into improving storage times and efficiencies of such devices to enable long-distance communications. However, less attention has been devoted to building quantum memories which add zero noise to the output. Even small additional noise can render the memory classical by destroying the fragile quantum signatures of the stored light. Therefore, noise performance is a critical parameter for all quantum memories. Here we introduce an intrinsically noise-free quantum memory protocol based on two-photon off-resonant cascaded absorption (ORCA). We demonstrate successful storage of GHz-bandwidth heralded single photons in a warm atomic vapor with no added noise, confirmed by the unaltered photon-number statistics upon recall. Our ORCA memory meets the stringent noise requirements for quantum memories while combining high-speed and room-temperature operation with technical simplicity, and therefore is immediately applicable to low-latency quantum networks.

2469-9926
Kaczmarek, K.T.
1658d0d5-06c7-4282-aea9-b2dbab601a12
Ledingham, P.M.
8db45fde-00d8-421a-93d6-7f18ac835c28
Brecht, B.
cd5bde09-42fc-4370-874f-e306d05505ca
Thomas, S.E.
c8cbf505-dbe4-46cb-9c89-8d8ddc52561a
Thekkadath, G.S.
f1271899-dac2-4999-8624-5e0cca406c47
Lazo-Arjona, O.
1a94c137-0b14-49da-9981-04d75fd786df
Munns, J.H.D.
a377f213-2da3-463c-924b-32122eb68c4c
Poem, E.
b7e555a1-2a22-4618-a0b7-8b13368d79b5
Feizpour, A.
3bd30b6c-f9d3-4c51-8167-238dd00abe85
Saunders, D.J.
8d590c4e-2ea0-439c-bf42-03192c9eb60e
Nunn, J.
2dfa3d2a-3580-456b-962c-0d21bed9cca9
Walmsley, I.A.
a9b02ef9-f5d9-473f-ac01-bbbe06d28170
Kaczmarek, K.T.
1658d0d5-06c7-4282-aea9-b2dbab601a12
Ledingham, P.M.
8db45fde-00d8-421a-93d6-7f18ac835c28
Brecht, B.
cd5bde09-42fc-4370-874f-e306d05505ca
Thomas, S.E.
c8cbf505-dbe4-46cb-9c89-8d8ddc52561a
Thekkadath, G.S.
f1271899-dac2-4999-8624-5e0cca406c47
Lazo-Arjona, O.
1a94c137-0b14-49da-9981-04d75fd786df
Munns, J.H.D.
a377f213-2da3-463c-924b-32122eb68c4c
Poem, E.
b7e555a1-2a22-4618-a0b7-8b13368d79b5
Feizpour, A.
3bd30b6c-f9d3-4c51-8167-238dd00abe85
Saunders, D.J.
8d590c4e-2ea0-439c-bf42-03192c9eb60e
Nunn, J.
2dfa3d2a-3580-456b-962c-0d21bed9cca9
Walmsley, I.A.
a9b02ef9-f5d9-473f-ac01-bbbe06d28170

Kaczmarek, K.T., Ledingham, P.M., Brecht, B., Thomas, S.E., Thekkadath, G.S., Lazo-Arjona, O., Munns, J.H.D., Poem, E., Feizpour, A., Saunders, D.J., Nunn, J. and Walmsley, I.A. (2018) High-speed noise-free optical quantum memory. Physical Review A, 97 (4), [042316]. (doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.97.042316).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Optical quantum memories are devices that store and recall quantum light and are vital to the realization of future photonic quantum networks. To date, much effort has been put into improving storage times and efficiencies of such devices to enable long-distance communications. However, less attention has been devoted to building quantum memories which add zero noise to the output. Even small additional noise can render the memory classical by destroying the fragile quantum signatures of the stored light. Therefore, noise performance is a critical parameter for all quantum memories. Here we introduce an intrinsically noise-free quantum memory protocol based on two-photon off-resonant cascaded absorption (ORCA). We demonstrate successful storage of GHz-bandwidth heralded single photons in a warm atomic vapor with no added noise, confirmed by the unaltered photon-number statistics upon recall. Our ORCA memory meets the stringent noise requirements for quantum memories while combining high-speed and room-temperature operation with technical simplicity, and therefore is immediately applicable to low-latency quantum networks.

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More information

Published date: 10 April 2018

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 455439
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/455439
ISSN: 2469-9926
PURE UUID: 708b4f18-5b67-4c83-b97c-a27519548605
ORCID for P.M. Ledingham: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-9804-6132

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Date deposited: 21 Mar 2022 17:55
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 03:58

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Contributors

Author: K.T. Kaczmarek
Author: P.M. Ledingham ORCID iD
Author: B. Brecht
Author: S.E. Thomas
Author: G.S. Thekkadath
Author: O. Lazo-Arjona
Author: J.H.D. Munns
Author: E. Poem
Author: A. Feizpour
Author: D.J. Saunders
Author: J. Nunn
Author: I.A. Walmsley

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