2005/01/31 by Yong‐Fan Chen, Yong-Fan Chen, Zen-Hsiang Tsai +7
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Atomic Physics (physics.atom-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #Mechanical and Optical Resonators #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum optics and atomic interactions #physics.atom-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.physics/0501155
4 pages, 3 figures, REVTeX
arxiv created 2005/01/31 · openalex publication_date 2005/01/31 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We report an experimental demonstration of single-photon switching in laser-cooled 87Rb atoms. A resonant probe pulse with an energy per unit area of one photon per λ2/2π propagates through the optically thick atoms. Its energy transmittance is greater than 63% or loss is less than e-1 due to the effect of electromagnetically induced transparency. In the presence of a switching pulse with an energy per unit area of 1.4 photons per λ2/2π, the energy transmittance of the same probe pulse becomes less than 37% or e-1. This substantial reduction of the probe transmittance caused by single switching photons has potential applications in single-photon-level nonlinear optics and the manipulation of quantum information.