arXiv subjects

A. Auffèves

Publications and source records attributed to A. Auffèves.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Accessing which-path information in the absorption and emission of light by a quantum dot in a Ramsey sequence

We quantify which-path information in the absorption and emission of light by a quantum dot along a Ramsey-like sequence. The quantum dot is excited by two successive classical $π/2$-pulses with tunable relative phase, yielding the spontaneous release of coherent superpositions of zero- and one-photon Fock states into two successive time bins. Along the sequence, the first time bin extracts information on the quantum dot energy state, behaving as a which-path detector for the Ramsey interferometer. The which-path information increases over time, and is accessed through the reduction of contrast of the Ramsey fringes. After the second pulse, the information still present in the first time bin controls the emission of coherent light into the second time bin, which is measurable through the reduction of the contrast of self-homodyne interference fringes in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Both measurements are in remarkable agreement with theoretical predictions. Our results quantitatively illustrate how which-path information and more generally quantum correlations impact light-matter energy exchanges in the quantum realm.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Experimental analysis of energy transfers between a quantum emitter and light fields

Energy transfer between quantum systems can either be achieved through an effective unitary interaction or through the generation of entanglement. This observation defines two types of energy exchange: unitary and correlation energy. Here we propose and implement experimental protocols to access these energy transfers in interactions between a quantum emitter and light fields. Upon spontaneous emission, we measure the unitary energy transfer from the emitter to the optical field and show that it never exceeds half of the total energy and is reduced when introducing decoherence. We then study the interference of the emitted field and a laser field at a beam splitter and show that the energy transfers quantitatively depend on the quantum purity of the emitted field.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Photon-number entanglement generated by sequential excitation of a two-level atom

Entanglement and spontaneous emission are fundamental quantum phenomena that drive many applications of quantum physics. During the spontaneous emission of light from an excited two-level atom, the atom briefly becomes entangled with the photonic field. Here, we show that this natural process can be used to produce photon-number entangled states of light distributed in time. By exciting a quantum dot -- an artificial two-level atom -- with two sequential $π$ pulses, we generate a photon-number Bell state. We characterise this state using time-resolved intensity and phase correlation measurements. Furthermore, we theoretically show that applying longer sequences of pulses to a two-level atom can produce a series of multi-temporal mode entangled states with properties intrinsically related to the Fibonacci sequence. Our results on photon-number entanglement can be further exploited to generate new states of quantum light with applications in quantum technologies.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Quantum technologies need a Quantum Energy Initiative

Quantum technologies are currently the object of high expectations from governments and private companies, as they hold the promise to shape safer and faster ways to extract, exchange and treat information. However, despite its major potential impact for industry and society, the question of their energetic footprint has remained in a blind spot of current deployment strategies. In this Perspective, I argue that quantum technologies must urgently plan for the creation and structuration of a transverse quantum energy initiative, connecting quantum thermodynamics, quantum information science, quantum physics and engineering. Such initiative is the only path towards energy efficient, sustainable quantum technologies, and to possibly bring out an energetic quantum advantage.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Measurement back-action and spin noise spectroscopy in a charged cavity-QED device in the strong coupling regime

We study theoretically the spin-induced and photon-induced fluctuations of optical signals from a singly-charged quantum dot-microcavity structure. We identify the respective contributions of the photon-polariton interactions, in the strong light-matter coupling regime, and of the quantum back-action induced by photon detection on the spin system. Strong spin projection by a single photon is shown to be achievable, allowing the initialization and measurement of a fully-polarized Larmor precession. The spectrum of second-order correlations is deduced, displaying information on both spin and quantum dot-cavity dynamics. The presented theory thus bridges the gap between the fields of spin noise spectroscopy and quantum optics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Probing quantum fluctuation theorems in engineered reservoirs

Fluctuation Theorems are central in stochastic thermodynamics, as they allow for quantifying the irreversibility of single trajectories. Although they have been experimentally checked in the classical regime, a practical demonstration in the framework of quantum open systems is still to come. Here we propose a realistic platform to probe fluctuation theorems in the quantum regime. It is based on an effective two-level system coupled to an engineered reservoir, that enables the detection of the photons emitted and absorbed by the system. When the system is coherently driven, a measurable quantum component in the entropy production is evidenced. We quantify the error due to photon detection inefficiency, and show that the missing information can be efficiently corrected, based solely on the detected events. Our findings provide new insights into how the quantum character of a physical system impacts its thermodynamic evolution.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Observing a quantum Maxwell demon at work

In apparent contradiction to the laws of thermodynamics, Maxwell's demon is able to cyclically extract work from a system in contact with a thermal bath exploiting the information about its microstate. The resolution of this paradox required the insight that an intimate relationship exists between information and thermodynamics. Here, we realize a Maxwell demon experiment that tracks the state of each constituent both in the classical and quantum regimes. The demon is a microwave cavity that encodes quantum information about a superconducting qubit and converts information into work by powering up a propagating microwave pulse by stimulated emission. Thanks to the high level of control of superconducting circuits, we directly measure the extracted work and quantify the entropy remaining in the demon's memory. This experiment provides an enlightening illustration of the interplay of thermodynamics with quantum information.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

A Fabry-Perot interferometer with quantum mirrors: nonlinear light transport and rectification

Optical transport represents a natural route towards fast communications, and it is currently used in large scale data transfer. The progressive miniaturization of devices for information processing calls for the microscopic tailoring of light transport and confinement at length scales appropriate for the upcoming technologies. With this goal in mind, we present a theoretical analysis of a one-dimensional Fabry-Perot interferometer built with two highly saturable nonlinear mirrors: a pair of two-level systems. Our approach captures non-linear and non-reciprocal effects of light transport that were not reported previously. Remarkably, we show that such an elementary device can operate as a microscopic integrated optical rectifier.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Tunable cavity coupling of the zero phonon line of a nitrogen-vacancy defect in diamond

We demonstrate the tunable enhancement of the zero phonon line of a single nitrogen-vacancy color center in diamond at cryogenic temperature. An open cavity fabricated using focused ion beam milling provides mode volumes as small as 1.24 $μ$m$^3$. In-situ tuning of the cavity resonance is achieved with piezoelectric actuators. At optimal coupling of the full open cavity the signal from individual zero phonon line transitions is enhanced by about a factor of 10 and the overall emission rate of the NV$^-$ center is increased by 40% compared with that measured from the same center in the absence of cavity field confinement. This result is important for the realization of efficient spin-photon interfaces and scalable quantum computing using optically addressable solid state spin qubits.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2013

Ultrafast QND measurements based on diamond-shape artificial atom

We propose a Quantum Non Demolition (QND) read-out scheme for a superconducting artificial atom coupled to a resonator in a circuit QED architecture, for which we estimate a very high measurement fidelity without Purcell effect limitations. The device consists of two transmons coupled by a large inductance, giving rise to a diamond-shape artificial atom with a logical qubit and an ancilla qubit interacting through a cross-Kerr like term. The ancilla is strongly coupled to a transmission line resonator. Depending on the qubit state, the ancilla is resonantly or dispersively coupled to the resonator, leading to a large contrast in the transmitted microwave signal amplitude. This original method can be implemented with state of the art Josephson parametric amplifier, leading to QND measurements in a few tens of nanoseconds with fidelity as large as 99.9 %.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

Monitoring stimulated emission at the single photon level in one-dimensional atoms

We theoretically investigate signatures of stimulated emission at the single photon level for a two-level atom interacting with a one-dimensional light field. We consider the transient regime where the atom is initially excited, and the steady state regime where the atom is continuously driven with an external pump. The influence of pure dephasing is studied, clearly showing that these effects can be evidenced with state of the art solid state devices. We finally propose a scheme to demonstrate the stimulation of one optical transition by monitoring another one, in three-level one-dimensional atoms.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2011

Strongly coupling a cavity to inhomogeneous ensembles of emitters : potential for long lived solid-state quantum memories

We investigate theoretically the coupling of a cavity mode to a continuous distribution of emitters. We discuss the influence of the emitters inhomogeneous broadening on the existence and on the coherence properties of the polaritonic peaks. We find that their coherence depends crucially on the shape of the distribution and not only on its width. Under certain conditions the coupling to the cavity protects the polaritonic states from inhomogeneous broadening, resulting in a longer storage time for a quantum memory based on emitters ensembles. When two different ensembles of emitters are coupled to the resonator, they support a peculiar collective dark state, also very attractive for the storage of quantum information.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2010

Controlling the dynamics of a coupled atom-cavity system by pure dephasing : basics and potential applications in nanophotonics

The influence of pure dephasing on the dynamics of the coupling between a two-level atom and a cavity mode is systematically addressed. We have derived an effective atom-cavity coupling rate that is shown to be a key parameter in the physics of the problem, allowing to generalize the known expression for the Purcell factor to the case of broad emitters, and to define strategies to optimize the performances of broad emitters-based single photon sources. Moreover, pure dephasing is shown to be able to restore lasing in presence of detuning, a further demonstration that decoherence can be seen as a fundamental resource in solid-state cavity quantum electrodynamics, offering appealing perspectives in the context of advanced nano-photonic devices.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2009

Continuous-wave versus time-resolved measurements of Purcell-factors for quantum dots in semiconductor microcavities

The light emission rate of a single quantum dot can be drastically enhanced by embedding it in a resonant semiconductor microcavity. This phenomenon is known as the Purcell effect, and the coupling strength between emitter and cavity can be quantified by the Purcell factor. The most natural way for probing the Purcell effect is a time-resolved measurement. However, this approach is not always the most convenient one, and alternative approaches based on a continuous-wave measurement are often more appropriate. Various signatures of the Purcell effect can indeed be observed using continuous-wave measurements (increase of the pump rate needed to saturate the quantum dot emission, enhancement of its emission rate at saturation, change of its radiation pattern), signatures which are encountered when a quantum dot is put on-resonance with the cavity mode. All these observations potentially allow one to estimate the Purcell factor. In this paper, we carry out these different types of measurements for a single quantum dot in a pillar microcavity and we compare their reliability. We include in the data analysis the presence of independent, non-resonant emitters in the microcavity environment, which are responsible for a part of the observed fluorescence.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗