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arXiv · 1308.1425

Microwave control of the interaction between two optical photons

D. Maxwell·D. J. Szwer·D. P. Barato·H. Busche·J. D. Pritchard·A. Gauguet·M. P. A. Jones·C. S. Adams
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Abstract

A microwave field is used to control the interaction between pairs of optical photons stored in highly excited collective states (Rydberg polaritons). We show that strong dipole-dipole interactions induced by the microwave field destroy the coherence of polariton modes with more than one Rydberg excitation. Consequently single-polariton modes, which correspond to single stored photons, are preferentially retrieved from the sample. Measurements of the photon statistics of the retrieved light field also reveal non-trivial propagation dynamics of the interacting polaritons.

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D. Maxwell, D. J. Szwer, D. P. Barato, H. Busche, J. D. Pritchard, A. Gauguet, M. P. A. Jones, C. S. Adams. 2014-05-26. Microwave control of the interaction between two optical photons. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.89.043827

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