Single-photon absorption in coupled atom-cavity systems

We show how to capture a single photon of arbitrary temporal shape with one atom coupled to an optical cavity. Our model applies to Raman transitions in three-level atoms with one branch of the transition controlled by a (classical) laser pulse, and the other coupled to the cavity. Photons impinging on the cavity normally exhibit partial reflection, transmission, and/or absorption by the atom. Only a control pulse of suitable temporal shape ensures impedance matching throughout the pulse, which is necessary for complete state mapping from photon to atom. For most possible photon shapes, we derive an unambiguous analytic expression for the shape of this control pulse, and we discuss how this relates to a quantum memory.

[1]  D. Ljunggren,et al.  Single photons made-to-measure , 2009, 0907.0761.

[2]  Wolfgang Tittel,et al.  Time-bin entangled qubits for quantum communication created by femtosecond pulses , 2002 .

[3]  H. J. Kimble,et al.  The quantum internet , 2008, Nature.

[4]  Alexey V. Gorshkov,et al.  Photon storage in Λ -type optically dense atomic media. I. Cavity model , 2006, quant-ph/0612082.

[5]  Lukin,et al.  Entanglement of atomic ensembles by trapping correlated photon states , 2000, Physical review letters.

[6]  Axel Kuhn,et al.  Highly efficient source for indistinguishable single photons of controlled shape , 2011, 1106.6292.

[7]  S. Yelin,et al.  How to trap photons? Storing single-photon quantum states in collective atomic excitations , 1999, quant-ph/9912022.

[8]  J. Laurat,et al.  Mapping photonic entanglement into and out of a quantum memory , 2007, Nature.

[9]  Axel Kuhn,et al.  Cavity-based single-photon sources , 2010 .

[10]  D. Matsukevich,et al.  Entanglement of remote atomic qubits. , 2006, Physical review letters.

[11]  J. Raimond,et al.  Quantum Memory with a Single Photon in a Cavity , 1997 .

[12]  N. V. Vitanov,et al.  Optimum pulse shapes for stimulated Raman adiabatic passage , 2009, 0906.1989.

[13]  Eden Figueroa,et al.  Electromagnetically induced transparency with single atoms in a cavity , 2010, Nature.

[14]  E. Knill,et al.  A scheme for efficient quantum computation with linear optics , 2001, Nature.

[15]  Herbert Walther,et al.  Continuous generation of single photons with controlled waveform in an ion-trap cavity system , 2004, Nature.

[16]  Christian Nölleke,et al.  A single-atom quantum memory , 2011, Nature.

[17]  A. D. Boozer,et al.  Reversible state transfer between light and a single trapped atom. , 2007, Physical review letters.

[18]  David P. DiVincenzo,et al.  Real and realistic quantum computers , 1998, Nature.

[19]  T. Wilk,et al.  Single-Atom Single-Photon Quantum Interface , 2007, Science.

[20]  Wang Yao,et al.  Theory of control of the spin-photon interface for quantum networks. , 2005, Physical review letters.

[21]  M. Hennrich,et al.  Heralded single-photon absorption by a single atom , 2010, 1004.4158.

[22]  J. Cirac,et al.  Quantum State Transfer and Entanglement Distribution among Distant Nodes in a Quantum Network , 1996, quant-ph/9611017.

[23]  M. S. Chapman,et al.  Atom-photon entanglement generation and distribution , 2004 .