2015/01/31 by J. Borregaard, Johannes Borregaard, Michael Zugenmaier +11 · 44 citations
Computer Science · Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Photonic Communication Systems #Architecture #Computer science #Neural Networks and Reservoir Computing #Optoelectronics #Photonic and Optical Devices #Photonics #Physics #Scalability #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/ncomms11356
published in Nature Communications 7(1), 11356 (Nature Portfolio) · 22 pages total, the first 10 pages are the main article and the remaining pages are the supplemental material
arxiv created 2016/03/17 · openalex publication_date 2016/04/14 · arxiv updated 2016/04/27 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Quantum interfaces between photons and atomic ensembles have emerged as powerful tools for quantum technologies. Efficient storage and retrieval of single photons requires long-lived collective atomic states, which is typically achieved with immobilized atoms. Thermal atomic vapours, which present a simple and scalable resource, have only been used for continuous variable processing or for discrete variable processing on short timescales where atomic motion is negligible. Here we develop a theory based on motional averaging to enable room temperature discrete variable quantum memories and coherent single-photon sources. We demonstrate the feasibility of this approach to scalable quantum memories with a proof-of-principle experiment with room temperature atoms contained in microcells with spin-protecting coating, placed inside an optical cavity. The experimental conditions correspond to a few photons per pulse and a long coherence time of the forward scattered photons is demonstrated, which is the essential feature of the motional averaging.