Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Dong-Sheng Ding

Publications and source records attributed to Dong-Sheng Ding.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Detection of infrared light through stimulated four-wave mixing process

Infrared optical measurement has a wide range of applications in industry and science, but infrared light detectors suffer from high costs and inferior performance than visible light detectors. Four-wave mixing (FWM) process allows detection in the infrared range by detecting correlated visible light. We experimentally investigate the stimulated FWM process in a hot $^{85}$Rb atomic vapor cell, in which a weak infrared signal laser at $1530~$nm induces the FWM process and is amplified and converted into a strong FWM light at $780~$nm, the latter can be detected more easily. We find the optimized single- and two-photon detunings by studying the dependence of the frequency of input laser on the generated FWM light. What's more, the power gain increases rapidly as the signal intensity decreases, which is consistent with our theoretical analysis. As a result, the power gain can reach up to 500 at a signal laser power of $0.1~μ$W and the number of detected photons increased by a factor of 250. Finally, we experimentally prove that our amplification process can work in a broad band in the frequency domain by exploring the response rate of our stimulated FWM process.

physics.optics↗

Enhanced metrology at the critical point of a many-body Rydberg atomic system

The spectral properties of an interacting many-body system may display critical character and have potential applications in precision metrology. Here, we demonstrate such many-body enhanced metrology for microwave (MW) electric fields in a non-equilibrium Rydberg atomic gas. Near criticality the high sensitivity of Rydberg atoms to external MW electric fields, combined with many-body enhancement induces significant changes in the optical transmission. We quantify this behavior using the Fisher information. For continuous optical transmission at the critical point, the Fisher information is three orders of magnitude larger than in independent particle systems, the measured data provides an equivalent sensitivity of 49 nV/cm/$\textrm{Hz}^{1/2}$. The reported results constitute a milestone towards the application of many-body effects in precision metrology.

quant-ph↗

Highly sensitive measurement of a megahertz rf electric field with a Rydberg-atom sensor

Rydberg atoms have great potential in electric field measurement and have an advantage with a large frequency bandwidth from the kHz to the THz scale. However, the sensitivity for measuring a weak MHz electric field signal is limited by the spectroscopic resolution, because the weak electric field induces only a small perturbation of the population and energy level shift of the Rydberg atoms. Here, we report highly sensitive measurement of a weak MHz electric field using electromagnetically induced transparency with Rydberg atoms in a thermal atomic system. Using the heterodyne method on a 30-MHz electric field, we successfully measure the minimum electric field strength to be \textcolor{black}{37.3 $\mathrm{μV/cm}$} with a sensitivity up to $-65$ dBm/Hz and a linear dynamic range over 65 dB. Additionally, we measure an amplitude-modulated signal and demodulate the signal with a fidelity over 98\%. This work extends the sensitivity of atomic sensors for measuring MHz electric fields, which advances atomic electric field-sensing technology.

physics.atom-ph↗

Rydberg microwave frequency comb spectrometer

Developing frequency combs spectral technologies has potential applications and prospects in the wide fields of cosmology, meteorology, and microwave measurement. Here, we demonstrate a Rydberg microwave frequency comb spectrometer via multiple-microwave field dressing, providing precise microwave measurement. The Rydberg microwave frequency comb spectrum provides a real-time and absolute frequency measurement with a range of 125 MHz and gives the relative phase of a single-frequency microwave signal. The reported experiment helps real-time sensing of an unknown microwave signal in a wide range using Rydberg atoms, which are vital for Rydberg-atom-based microwave metrology.

physics.atom-ph↗

Size-Reduction of Rydberg collective excited states in cold atomic system

The collective effect of large amounts of atoms exhibit an enhanced interaction between light and atoms. This holds great interest in quantum optics, and quantum information. When a collective excited state of a group of atoms during Rabi oscillation is varying, the oscillation exhibits rich dynamics. Here, we experimentally observe a size-reduction effect of the Rydberg collective state during Rabi oscillation in cold atomic dilute gases. The Rydberg collective state was first created by the Rydberg quantum memory, and we observed a decreased oscillation frequency effect by measuring the time traces of the retrieved light field amplitude, which exhibited chirped characteristics. This is caused by the simultaneous decay to the overall ground state and the overall loss of atoms. The observed oscillations are dependent on the effective Rabi frequency and detuning of the coupling laser, and the dephasing from inhomogeneous broadening. The reported results show the potential prospects of studying the dynamics of the collective effect of a large amount of atoms and manipulating a single-photon wave-packet based on the interaction between light and Rydberg atoms.

quant-ph↗

Experimental realization of quantum non-reciprocity based on cold atomic ensembles

In analog to counterparts widely used in electronic circuits, all optical non-reciprocal devices are basic building blocks for both classical and quantum optical information processing. Approaching the fundamental limit of such devices, where the propagation of a single photon exhibits a good non-reciprocal characteristic, requires an asymmetric strong coupling between a single photon and a matter. Unfortunately it has been not realized yet. Here, we propose and experimentally realize a quantum non-reciprocity device with low optical losses and a high isolation of larger than 14 dB based on the cold atoms. Besides, the non-reciprocal transmission of a quantum qubit and non-reciprocal quantum storage of a true single photon are also realized. All results achieved would be very promising in building up quantum non-reciprocal devices for quantum networks.

quant-ph↗

Frequency conversion of abruptly autofocusing waves

Abruptly autofocusing waves and associated ring-Airy (RA) beams are attracting increasing interest owing to their fascinating properties such as their ability of abruptly autofocusing to small F-number. Optical frequency conversion via nonlinear interactions can further expand their applications to new area, yet are rarely studied. In this work, we report the frequency conversion of RA beams via sum-frequency generation using perfect flattop and common Gauss beams as the pump beams. The nonlinear transformation of the spatial complex amplitude of the signal and associated influences on autofocusing behavior, under different conditions of interaction location (i.e., original, autofocusing, and Fourier planes) and pump structure, were systematically studied and experimentally investigated. This proof-of principle demonstration provides a general guideline to build the frequency interface for abruptly autofocusing waves and a reference for relevant studies involving nonlinear transformation of abruptly autofocusing waves.

physics.optics↗

Long-lived storage of orbital angular momentum quantum states

Quantum memories are indispensible for establishing a long-distance quantum network. High-dimensional quantum memories enable a higher channel capacity compared to a quantum memory working in a two-dimensional space, and have a lower requirement for storage lifetime in the field of quantum coomunication. The photonic transverse spatial modes such as Laguerra-Gaussian modes orbital angular momentum (OAM) are ideal candidates for encoding high-dimensional information, because it can form an infinite-dimensional Hilbert space. Although the faithful storage of an OAM qubit or qutrit has been realized in pioneering works, the longest storage lifetime for the former is only in the order of a few microseconds, and hundreds of nano-seconds for the latter. Here we implement a quantum memory for OAM qubits and qutrits using a cold atomic ensemble, the experimental results clearly show that our memory can still beat the classical limit after a storage time of $400μs$,which is two orders of magnitude higher than the previous work. The retrieval efficiency at this time equals to $44\%$ of the value when the storage time is set to be $10μs$. Our work is very promising for establishing a high dimensional quantum network.

quant-ph↗

Deep learning enhanced Rydberg multifrequency microwave recognition

Recognition of multifrequency microwave (MW) electric fields is challenging because of the complex interference of multifrequency fields in practical applications. Rydberg atom-based measurements for multifrequency MW electric fields is promising in MW radar and MW communications. However, Rydberg atoms are sensitive not only to the MW signal but also to noise from atomic collisions and the environment, meaning that solution of the governing Lindblad master equation of light-atom interactions is complicated by the inclusion of noise and high-order terms. Here, we solve these problems by combining Rydberg atoms with deep learning model, demonstrating that this model uses the sensitivity of the Rydberg atoms while also reducing the impact of noise without solving the master equation. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, the deep learning enhanced Rydberg receiver allows direct decoding of the frequency-division multiplexed (FDM) signal. This type of sensing technology is expected to benefit Rydberg-based MW fields sensing and communication.

quant-ph↗

Propagation-invariant high-dimensional orbital angular momentum states

Photonic states encoded in spatial modes of paraxial light fields provide a promising platform for high-dimensional quantum information protocols and related studies, where several pioneering theoretical and experimental demonstrations have paved the path for future technologies. Crucially, critical issues encountered in free-space propagation still represent a major challenge. This is the case of asynchronous diffraction between spatial modes with different modal orders, which experience variations in their transverse structure upon free-space propagation. Here we address this issue by proposing an encoding method based on the use of Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) modes of the same modal order N to define a N + 1 dimensional space. Noteworthy, such modes endowed with orbital angular momentum (OAM) experience the same propagation aberrations featuring an identical Gouy phase and wavefront curvature. We demonstrate our proposal experimentally by using time-correlated-single-photon imaging combined with a digital propagation technique. Importantly, our technique allows to eliminate, without the use of imaging systems, all issues related to asynchronous diffraction, providing an accessible way to generate propagation-invariant OAM qudits for quantum optical protocols.

physics.optics↗

Conformal frequency conversion for arbitrary vectorial structured light

Vectorial structured light with spatially varying amplitude, phase, and polarization is reshaping many areas of modern optics, including nonlinear optics, as diverse parametric processes can be used to explore interactions between such complex vector fields, extending the frontiers of optics to new physical phenomena. However, the most basic nonlinear application, i.e., frequency conversion, still remains challenging for vectorial structured light since parametric processes are polarization dependent, leading to a change in the spatial topological structure of signals. In this work, to break this fundamental limit, we propose a novel conformal frequency conversion scheme that allows to maintain the full spatial structure of vectorial structured light in the conversion; and systematically examine its spatial polarization independence based on non-degenerate sum-frequency generation with type-0 phase matching. This proof-of-principle demonstration paves the way for a wide range of applications requiring conformal frequency conversion, and, particularly, to implement frequency interfaces with multimodal communication channels, high-dimensional quantum states, and polarization-resolved upconversion imaging.

physics.optics↗

Epidemic spreading and herd immunity in a driven non-equilibrium system of strongly-interacting atoms

It is increasingly important to understand the spatial dynamics of epidemics. While there are numerous mathematical models of epidemics, there is a scarcity of physical systems with sufficiently well-controlled parameters to allow quantitative model testing. It is also challenging to replicate the macro non-equilibrium effects of complex models in microscopic systems. In this work, we demonstrate experimentally a physics analog of epidemic spreading using optically driven non-equilibrium phase transitions in strongly interacting Rydberg atoms. Using multiple laser beams we can impose any desired spatial structure. We observe spatially localized phase transitions and their interplay in different parts of the sample. These phase transitions simulate the outbreak of an infectious disease in multiple locations, as well as the dynamics towards herd immunity and endemic state in different regimes. The reported results indicate that Rydberg systems are versatile enough to model complex spatial-temporal dynamics.

quant-ph↗

Synchronized resistance to inhomogeneous magnetic field-induced dephasing of an image stored in a cold atomic ensemble

Long-lived storage of arbitrary transverse multimodes is important for establishing a high-channel-capacity quantum network. Most of the pioneering works focused on atomic diffusion as the dominant impact on the retrieved pattern in an atom-based memory. In this work, we demonstrate that the unsynchronized Larmor precession of atoms in the inhomogeneous magnetic field dominates the distortion of the pattern stored in a cold-atom-based memory. We find that this distortion effect can be eliminated by applying a strong uniform polarization magnetic field. By preparing atoms in magnetically insensitive states, the destructive interference between different spin-wave components is diminished, and the stored localized patterns are synchronized further in a single spin-wave component; then, an obvious enhancement in preserving patterns for a long time is obtained. The reported results are very promising for studying transverse multimode decoherence in storage and high-dimensional quantum networks in the future.

quant-ph↗

Heralded generation of vectorially structured photons with high purity

Engineering vector spatial modes of photons is an important approach for manipulating high-dimension photonic states in various quantum optical experiments. In this work, we demonstrate generation of heralded single photons with well-defined vector spatial modes by using a self-locking polarizing interferometer comprising a spatial light modulator. Specifically, it is shown that, by carefully tailoring and compensating spatial and temporal amplitudes of manipulated photons, one can exactly convert ultrafast single photons into desired spin-orbit states with extremely high purity. This compact and robust device provides a versatile way for not only generation, but also manipulation and characterization of arbitrary photonic spin-orbit states.

physics.optics↗

Experimental demonstration of switching entangled photons based on the Rydberg blockade effect

The long-range interaction between Rydberg-excited atoms endows a medium with large optical nonlinearity. Here, we demonstrate an optical switch to operate on a single photon from an entangled photon pair under a Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency configuration. With the presence of the Rydberg blockade effect, we switch on a gate field to make the atomic medium nontransparent thereby absorbing the single photon emitted from another atomic ensemble via the spontaneous four-wave mixing process. In contrast to the case without a gate field, more than 50% of the photons sent to the switch are blocked, and finally achieve an effective single-photon switch. There are on average 1-2 gate photons per effective blockade sphere in one gate pulse. This switching effect on a single entangled photon depends on the principal quantum number and the photon number of the gate field. Our experimental progress is significant in the quantum information process especially in controlling the interaction between Rydberg atoms and entangled photon pairs.

quant-ph↗

Experimental demonstration of Cavity-Free Optical Isolators and Optical Circulators

Cavity-free optical nonreciprocity components, which have an inherent strong asymmetric interaction between the forward- and backward-propagation direction of the probe field, are key to produce such as optical isolators and circulators. According to the proposal presented by Xia et al., [Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 203602 (2018)], we experimentally build a device that uses cross-Kerr nonlinearity to achieve a cavity-free optical isolator and circulator. Its nonreciprocal behavior arises from the thermal motion of N-type configuration atoms, which induces a strong chiral cross-Kerr nonlinear response for the weak probe beam. We obtain a two-port optical isolator for up to 20 dB of isolation ratio in a specially designed Sagnac interferometer. The distinct propagation directions of the weak probe field determine its cross-phase shift and transmission, by which we demonstrate the accessibility of a four-port optical circulator.

quant-ph↗

Phase diagram and self-organising dynamics in a strongly-interacting thermal Rydberg ensemble

Abstract Far-from equilibrium dynamics that lead to self-organization are highly relevant to complex dynamical systems not only in physics, but also in life-, earth-, and social sciences. It is challenging however to find systems with sufficiently controllable parameters that allow quantitatively modelling of emergent properties. Here, we study a non-equilibrium phase transition and observe signatures of self-organized criticality in a dilute thermal vapour of atoms optically excited to strongly interacting Rydberg states. Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) provides excellent control over the population dynamics and enables high-resolution probing of the driven-dissipative dynamics, which also exhibits phase bistability. Increased sensitivity compared to previous work allows us to reconstruct the complete phase diagram including in the vicinity of the critical point. We observe that interaction-induced energy shifts and enhanced decay only occur in one of the phases above a critical Rydberg population. This limits the application of generic mean-field models, however a modified, threshold-dependent approach is in qualitative agreement with experimental data. Near threshold, we observe self-organized dynamics in the form of population jumps that return the density to a critical value.

physics.atom-ph↗

Temporal Wheeler's delayed-Choice Experiment based on Cold Atomic Quantum Memory

Nowadays the most intriguing features of wave particle complementarity of single photon is exemplified by the famous Wheeler's delayed choice experiment in linear optics, nuclear magnetic resonance and integrated photonic device systems. Studying the wave particle behavior in light and matter interaction at single photon level is challenging and interesting, which gives how single photons complement in light and matter interaction. Here, we demonstrate a Wheeler's delayed choice experiment in an interface of light and atomic memory, in which the cold atomic memory makes the heralded single photon divided into a superposition of atomic collective excitation and leaked pulse, thus acting as memory beam splitters. We observe the morphing behavior between particle and wave of a heralded single photon by changing the relative proportion of quantum random number generator, the second memory efficiency, and the relative storage time of two memories. The reported results exhibit the complementarity behavior of single photon under the interface of light atom interaction.

quant-ph↗