arXiv subjects

Gerhard Rempe

Publications and source records attributed to Gerhard Rempe.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2012

Bose-Einstein condensate as a quantum memory for a photonic polarization qubit

A scheme based on electromagnetically induced transparency is used to store light in a Bose-Einstein condensate. In this process, a photonic polarization qubit is stored in atomic Zeeman states. The performance of the storage process is characterized and optimized. The average process fidelity is 1.000 +/- 0.004. For long storage times, temporal fluctuations of the magnetic field reduce this value, yielding a lifetime of the fidelity of 1.1 +/- 0.2 ms. The write-read efficiency of the pulse energy can reach 0.53 +/- 0.05.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2011

Three-Photon Correlations in a Strongly Driven Atom-Cavity System

The quantum dynamics of a strongly driven, strongly coupled single-atom-cavity system is studied by evaluating time-dependent second- and third-order correlations of the emitted photons. The coherent energy exchange, first, between the atom and the cavity mode, and second, between the atom-cavity system and the driving laser, is observed. Three-photon detections show an asymmetry in time, a consequence of the breakdown of detailed balance. The results are in good agreement with theory and are a first step towards the control of a quantum trajectory at larger driving strength.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2011

A Single-Atom Quantum Memory

The faithful storage of a quantum bit of light is essential for long-distance quantum communication, quantum networking and distributed quantum computing. The required optical quantum memory must, first, be able to receive and recreate the photonic qubit and, second, store an unknown quantum state of light better than any classical device. These two requirements have so far been met only by ensembles of material particles storing the information in collective excitations. Recent developments, however, have paved the way for a new approach in which the information exchange happens between single quanta of light and matter. This single-particle approach allows one to address the material qubit and thus has fundamental advantages for realistic implementations: First, to combat inevitable losses and finite efficiencies, it enables a heralding mechanism that signals the successful storage of a photon by means of state detection. Second, it allows for individual qubit manipulations, opening up avenues for in situ processing of the stored quantum information. Here we demonstrate the most fundamental implementation of such a quantum memory by mapping arbitrary polarization states of light into and out of a single atom trapped inside an optical cavity. The memory performance is analyzed through full quantum process tomography. The average fidelity is measured to be 93% and low decoherence rates result in storage times exceeding 180μs. This makes our system a versatile quantum node with excellent perspectives for optical quantum gates and quantum repeaters.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2010

Feedback Cooling of a Single Neutral Atom

We demonstrate feedback cooling of the motion of a single rubidium atom trapped in a high-finesse optical resonator to a temperature of about 160 μK. Time-dependent transmission and intensity-correlation measurements prove the reduction of the atomic position uncertainty. The feedback increases the 1/e storage time into the one second regime, 30 times longer than without feedback. Feedback cooling therefore rivals state-of-the-art laser cooling, but with the advantages that it requires less optical access and exhibits less optical pumping.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2010

Velocity-selected molecular pulses produced by an electric guide

Electrostatic velocity filtering is a technique for the production of continuous guided beams of slow polar molecules from a thermal gas. We extended this technique to produce pulses of slow molecules with a narrow velocity distribution around a tunable velocity. The pulses are generated by sequentially switching the voltages on adjacent segments of an electric quadrupole guide synchronously with the molecules propagating at the desired velocity. This technique is demonstrated for deuterated ammonia (ND$_{3}$), delivering pulses with a velocity in the range of $20-100\,\rm{m/s}$ and a relative velocity spread of $(16\pm 2)\,%$ at FWHM. At velocities around $60\,\rm{m/s}$, the pulses contain up to $10^6$ molecules each. The data are well reproduced by Monte-Carlo simulations, which provide useful insight into the mechanisms of velocity selection.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2010

Lossless State Detection of Single Neutral Atoms

We introduce lossless state detection of trapped neutral atoms based on cavity-enhanced fluorescence. In an experiment with a single 87-Rb atom, a hyperfine-state-detection fidelity of 99.4% is achieved in 85 microseconds. The quantum bit is interrogated many hundreds of times without loss of the atom while a result is obtained in every readout attempt. The fidelity proves robust against atomic frequency shifts induced by the trapping potential. Our scheme does not require strong coupling between the atom and cavity and can be generalized to other systems with an optically accessible quantum bit.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2010

Cavity-Enhanced Rayleigh Scattering

We demonstrate Purcell-like enhancement of Rayleigh scattering into a single optical mode of a Fabry-Perot resonator for several thermal atomic and molecular gases. The light is detuned by more than an octave, in this case by hundreds of nanometers, from any optical transition, making particle excitation and spontaneous emission negligible. The enhancement of light scattering into the resonator is explained quantitatively as an interference effect of light waves emitted by a classical driven dipole oscillator. Applications of our method include the sensitive, non-destructive in-situ detection of ultracold molecules.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2010

Electromagnetically induced transparency with single atoms in a cavity

Optical nonlinearities offer unique possibilities for the control of light with light. A prominent example is electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) where the transmission of a probe beam through an optically dense medium is manipulated by means of a control beam. Scaling such experiments into the quantum domain with one, or just a few particles of both light and matter will allow for the implementation of quantum computing protocols with atoms and photons or the realisation of strongly interacting photon gases exhibiting quantum phase transitions of light. Reaching these aims is challenging and requires an enhanced matter-light interaction as provided by cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED). Here we demonstrate EIT with a single atom quasi-permanently trapped inside a high-finesse optical cavity. The atom acts as a quantum-optical transistor with the ability to coherently control the transmission of light through the cavity. We furthermore investigate the scaling of EIT when the atom number is increased one by one. The measured spectra are in excellent agreement with a theoretical model. Merging EIT with cavity QED and single quanta of matter is likely to become the cornerstone for novel applications, e.g. the dynamic control of the photon statistics of propagating light fields or the engineering of Fock-state superpositions of flying light pulses.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2008

Collisional effects in the formation of cold guided beams of polar molecules

High fluxes of cold polar molecules are efficiently produced by electric guiding and velocity filtering. Here, we investigate different aspects of the beam formation. Variations of the source parameters such as density and temperature result in characteristic changes in the guided beam. These are observed in the velocity distribution of the guided molecules as well as in the dependence of the signal of guided molecules on the trapping electric field. A model taking into account velocity-dependent collisional losses of cold molecules in the region close to the nozzle accurately reproduces this behavior. This clarifies an open question on the parameter dependence of the detected signal and gives a more detailed understanding of the velocity filtering and guiding process.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2008

Continuous guided beams of slow and internally cold polar molecules

We describe the combination of buffer-gas cooling with electrostatic velocity filtering to produce a high-flux continuous guided beam of internally cold and slow polar molecules. In a previous paper (L.D. van Buuren et al., arXiv:0806.2523v1) we presented results on density and state purity for guided beams of ammonia and formaldehyde using an optimized set-up. Here we describe in more detail the technical aspects of the cryogenic source, its operation, and the optimization experiments that we performed to obtain best performance. The versatility of the source is demonstrated by the production of guided beams of different molecular species.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2008

Spectroscopy of formaldehyde in the 30140-30790cm^-1 range

Room-temperature absorption spectroscopy of formaldehyde has been performed in the 30140-30790cm^-1 range. Using tunable ultraviolet continuous-wave laser light, individual rotational lines are well resolved in the Doppler-broadened spectrum. Making use of genetic algorithms, the main features of the spectrum are reproduced. Spectral data is made available as Supporting Information.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2007

A Single-Photon Server with Just One Atom

Neutral atoms are ideal objects for the deterministic processing of quantum information. Entanglement operations have been performed by photon exchange or controlled collisions. Atom-photon interfaces were realized with single atoms in free space or strongly coupled to an optical cavity. A long standing challenge with neutral atoms, however, is to overcome the limited observation time. Without exception, quantum effects appeared only after ensemble averaging. Here we report on a single-photon source with one-and-only-one atom quasi permanently coupled to a high-finesse cavity. Quasi permanent refers to our ability to keep the atom long enough to, first, quantify the photon-emission statistics and, second, guarantee the subsequent performance as a single-photon server delivering up to 300,000 photons for up to 30 seconds. This is achieved by a unique combination of single-photon generation and atom cooling. Our scheme brings truly deterministic protocols of quantum information science with light and matter within reach.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2006

Time-resolved and state-selective detection of single freely falling atoms

We report on the detection of single, slowly moving Rubidium atoms using laser-induced fluorescence. The atoms move at 3 m/s while they are detected with a time resolution of 60 microseconds. The detection scheme employs a near-resonant laser beam that drives a cycling atomic transition, and a highly efficient mirror setup to focus a large fraction of the fluorescence photons to a photomultiplier tube. It counts on average 20 photons per atom.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2005

Dissociation of Feshbach Molecules into Different Partial Waves

Ultracold molecules can be associated from ultracold atoms by ramping the magnetic field through a Feshbach resonance. A reverse ramp dissociates the molecules. Under suitable conditions, more than one outgoing partial wave can be populated. A theoretical model for this process is discussed here in detail. The model reveals the connection between the dissociation and the theory of multichannel scattering resonances. In particular, the decay rate, the branching ratio, and the relative phase between the partial waves can be predicted from theory or extracted from experiment. The results are applicable to our recent experiment in 87Rb, which has a d-wave shape resonance.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2005

Vacuum-stimulated cooling of single atoms in three dimensions

Taming quantum dynamical processes is the key to novel applications of quantum physics, e.g. in quantum information science. The control of light-matter interactions at the single-atom and single-photon level can be achieved in cavity quantum electrodynamics, in particular in the regime of strong coupling where atom and cavity form a single entity. In the optical domain, this requires permanent trapping and cooling of an atom in a micro-cavity. We have now realized three-dimensional cavity cooling and trapping for an orthogonal arrangement of cooling laser, trap laser and cavity vacuum. This leads to average single-atom trapping times exceeding 15 seconds, unprecedented for a strongly coupled atom under permanent observation.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2005

Nano Positioning of Single Atoms in a Micro Cavity

The coupling of individual atoms to a high-finesse optical cavity is precisely controlled and adjusted using a standing-wave dipole-force trap, a challenge for strong atom-cavity coupling. Ultracold Rubidium atoms are first loaded into potential minima of the dipole trap in the center of the cavity. Then we use the trap as a conveyor belt that we set into motion perpendicular to the cavity axis. This allows us to repetitively move atoms out of and back into the cavity mode with a repositioning precision of 135 nm. This makes possible to either selectively address one atom of a string of atoms by the cavity, or to simultaneously couple two precisely separated atoms to a higher mode of the cavity.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2005

Feshbach Spectroscopy of a Shape Resonance

We present a new spectroscopy technique for studying cold-collision properties. The technique is based on the association and dissociation of ultracold molecules using a magnetically tunable Feshbach resonance. The energy and lifetime of a shape resonance are determined from a measurement of the dissociation rate. Additional spectroscopic information is obtained from the observation of a spatial interference pattern between an outgoing s wave and d wave. The experimental data agree well with the results from a new model, in which the dissociation process is connected to a scattering gedanken experiment, which is analyzed using a coupled-channels calculation.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2004

Dissociation of ultracold molecules with Feshbach resonances

Ultracold molecules are associated from an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate by ramping a magnetic field across a Feshbach resonance. The reverse ramp dissociates the molecules. The kinetic energy released in the dissociation process is used to measure the widths of 4 Feshbach resonances in 87Rb. This method to determine the width works remarkably well for narrow resonances even in the presence of significant magnetic-field noise. In addition, a quasi-mono-energetic atomic wave is created by jumping the magnetic field across the Feshbach resonance.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗