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Brenda Chng

Publications and source records attributed to Brenda Chng.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2018

Characterization of a photon pair source based on a cold atomic ensemble using a cascade level scheme

We characterize a source of photon pairs based on cascade decay in a cold Rb-87 ensemble. This source is particularly suited to generate of photons for interaction with Rb-87 based atomic systems. We experimentally investigate the dependence of pair generation rate, single photon heralding efficiency, and bandwidth as a function of the number of atoms, detuning and intensity of the pump beams. The observed power and detuning behaviors can be explained by the steady state solution of an established three-level model of an atom. Measurements presented here provide a useful insight on the optimization of this kind of photon pair sources.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2016

Random numbers from vacuum fluctuations

We implement a quantum random number generator based on a balanced homodyne measurement of vacuum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field. The digitized signal is directly processed with a fast randomness extraction scheme based on a linear feedback shift register. The random bit stream is continuously read in a computer at a rate of about 480 Mbit/s and passes an extended test suite for random numbers.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2015

Polarization entanglement and quantum beats of photon pairs from four-wave mixing in a cold Rb-87 ensemble

We characterize correlations in polarization and time of photon pairs generated from a cold cloud of Rb-87 atoms via a four-wave mixing process in a cascade level scheme. Quantum state tomography reveals entangled polarization states of high purity for each of the decay paths through two different intermediate hyperfine levels. When allowing both decay paths, we observe quantum beats in time-resolved correlation measurements.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2014

Reversing the temporal envelope of a heralded single photon using a cavity

We demonstrate a way to prepare single photons with a temporal envelope that resembles the time reversal of photons from the spontaneous decay process. We use the photon pairs generated from a time-ordered atomic cascade decay: the detection of the first photon of the cascade is used as a herald for the ground-state transition resonant second photon. We show how the interaction of the heralding photon with an asymmetric Fabry-Perot cavity reverses the temporal shape of its twin photon from a decaying to a rising exponential envelope. This single photon is expected to be ideal for interacting with two level systems.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2014

Counterintuitive temporal shape of single photons

We prepare heralded single photons from a photon pair source based on non-degenerate four-wave mixing in a cold atomic ensemble via a cascade decay scheme. Their statistics shows strong antibunching with g(2)(0) < 0.03, indicating a near single photon character. In an optical homodyne experiment, we directly measure the temporal envelope of these photons and find, depending on the heralding scheme, an exponentially decaying or rising profile. The rising envelope will be useful for efficient interaction between single photons and microscopic systems like single atoms and molecules. At the same time, their observation illustrates the breakdown of a realistic interpretation of the heralding process in terms of defining an initial condition of a physical system.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2010

Interaction of light with a single atom in the strong focusing regime

We consider the near-resonant interaction between a single atom and a focused light mode, where a single atom localized at the focus of a lens can scatter a significant fraction of light. Complementary to previous experiments on extinction and phase shift effects of a single atom, we report here on the measurement of coherently backscattered light. The strength of the observed effect suggests combining strong focusing with the well-established methods of cavity QED. We consider theoretically a nearly concentric cavity, which should allow for a strongly focused optical mode. Simple estimates show that in a such case one can expect a significant single photon Rabi frequency. This opens new perspectives and a possibility to scale up the system consisting of many atom+cavity nodes for quantum networking due to a significant technical simplification of the atom--light interfaces.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2009

Interfacing light and single atoms with a lens

We characterize the interaction between a single atom or similar microscopic system and a light field via the scattering ratio. For that, we first derive the electrical field in a strongly focused Gaussian light beam, and then consider the atomic response. Following the simple scattering model, the fraction of scattered optical power for a weak coherent probe field leads to unphysical scattering ratios above 1 in the strong focusing regime. A refined model considering interference between exciting and scattered field into finite-sized detectors or optical fibers is presented, and compared to experimental extinction measurements for various focusing strengths.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2008

Charging Black Saturn?

We construct new charged static solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell field equations in five dimensions via a solution generation technique utilizing the symmetries of the reduced Lagrangian. By applying our method on the multi-Reissner-Nordstrom solution in four dimensions, we generate the multi-Reissner-Nordstrom solution in five dimensions. We focus on the five-dimensional solution describing a pair of charged black objects with general masses and electric charges. This solution includes the double Reissner-Nordstrom solution as well as the charged version of the five-dimensional static black Saturn. However, all the black Saturn configurations that we could find present either a conical singularity or a naked singularity. We also obtain a non-extremal configuration of charged black strings that reduces in the extremal limit to a Majumdar-Papapetrou like solution in five dimensions.

hep-th↗
arXiv2008

Strong interaction between light and a single trapped atom without a cavity

Coupling of light to an atom at single quanta level with high probability is a building block for many quantum information processing protocols. It is commonly believed that efficient coupling is only achievable with the assistance of a cavity. Here, we report on an observation of substantial coupling between a light beam and a single $^{87}$Rb atom in a direct extinction measurement by focusing light to a small spot with a single lens. Our result opens a new perspective on processing quantum information carried by light using atoms, and is important to many ongoing experiments that require strong coupling of single photons to an atom in free space.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2006

Accelerating Taub-NUT and Eguchi-Hanson solitons in four dimensions

We construct new solutions of the vacuum Einstein field equations in four dimensions via a solution generating method utilizing the SL(2,R) symmetry of the reduced Lagrangian. We apply the method to an accelerating version of the Zipoy-Voorhees solution and generate new solutions which we interpret to be the accelerating versions of the Zipoy-Voorhees generalisation of the Taub-NUT solution (with Lorentzian signature) and the Zipoy-Voorhees generalisation of the Eguchi-Hanson solitons (with Euclidean signature). As an intermediary in the solution-generating process we obtain charged versions of the accelerated Zipoy-Voorhees-like families of solutions. Finally we present the accelerating version of the Taub-NUT solution and discuss its properties.

gr-qc↗