2005/04/28 by Andrew M. C. Dawes, Lucas Illing, Susan Clark +2 · 2 citations
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Nonlinear Dynamics and Pattern Formation #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum optics and atomic interactions #nlin.PS #physics.optics
paper · pdf · doi:10.1126/science.1110151
published as Science, Vol 308, Issue 5722, 672-674, 29 April 2005 · 20 pages, 6 figures; published in Science; http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/308/5722/672
openalex publication_date 2005/04/28 · arxiv created 2005/06/02 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We report on an all-optical switch that operates at low light levels. It consists of laser beams counterpropagating through a warm rubidium vapor that induce an off-axis optical pattern. A switching laser beam causes this pattern to rotate even when the power in the switching beam is much lower than the power in the pattern. The observed switching energy density is very low, suggesting that the switch might operate at the single-photon level with system optimization. This approach opens the possibility of realizing a single-photon switch for quantum information networks and for improving transparent optical telecommunication networks.