arXiv subjects

Pablo Solano

Publications and source records attributed to Pablo Solano.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Non-Markovian collective emission from macroscopically separated emitters

We study the collective radiative decay of a system of two two-level emitters coupled to a one-dimensional waveguide in a regime where their separation is comparable to the coherence length of a spontaneously emitted photon. The electromagnetic field propagating in the cavity-like geometry formed by the emitters exerts a retarded backaction on the system leading to strongly non-Markovian dynamics. The collective spontaneous emission rate of the emitters exhibits an enhancement or inhibition beyond the usual Dicke super- and sub-radiance due to a self-consistent coherent time-delayed feedback.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2019

Strongly Correlated Quantum Gas Prepared by Direct Laser Cooling

We create a one-dimensional strongly correlated quantum gas of $^{133}$Cs atoms with attractive interactions by direct laser cooling in 300~ms. After compressing and cooling the optically trapped atoms to the vibrational ground state along two tightly confined directions, the emergence of a non-Gaussian time-of-flight distribution along the third, weakly confined direction reveals that the system enters a quantum degenerate regime. We observe a strong reduction of two- and three-body spatial correlations and infer that the atoms are directly cooled into a highly correlated excited metastable state, known as a super-Tonks-Girardeau gas.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2017

Spin-optomechanical coupling between light and a nanofiber torsional mode

Light that carries linear or angular momentum can interact with a mechanical object giving rise to optomechanical effects. In particular, a photon transfers its intrinsic angular momentum to an object when the object either absorbs the photon or changes the photon polarization, as in an action/reaction force pair. Here, we present the implementation of light-induced selective resonant driving of the torsional mechanical modes of a single-mode tapered optical nanofiber. The nanofiber torsional mode spectrum is characterized by polarimetry, showing narrow natural resonances (Q$\approx$2,000). By sending amplitude modulated light through the nanofiber, we resonantly drive individual torsional modes as a function of the light polarization. By varying the input polarization to the fiber, we find the largest amplification of a mechanical oscillation (>35 dB) is observed when driving the system with light containing longitudinal spin on the nanofiber waist. These results present optical nanofibers as a platform suitable for quantum spin-optomechanics experiments.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2017

Super-radiance reveals infinite-range dipole interactions through a nanofiber

Atoms interact with each other through the electromagnetic field, creating collective states that can radiate faster or slower than a single atom, i.e. super- and sub-radiance. The generation and control of such states by engineering the dipolar interactions between atoms can enable new tools for atomic-based technologies. Atom-atom interactions in free space are limited in range, since the amplitude of the radiated field decreases inversely with distance. When the field is confined to one dimension it enables infinite-range interactions. This has been observed for atoms in an optical cavity, but remains to be proven in one-dimensional waveguides, where the extent of the interactions is not limited by the cavity size. Here we present the first report of infinite-range interactions between macroscopically separated atomic dipoles mediated by an optical waveguide. This is evidenced by the collective radiative decay of a single photon distributed between distant atoms. We use cold $^{87}$Rb atoms in the vicinity of a single-mode optical nanofiber (ONF) that coherently exchange evanescently coupled photons through the ONF mode. In particular, we observe super-radiance of a few atoms separated by hundreds of resonant wavelengths. This effect is not possible for atoms separated by more than a wavelength interacting through free space. The same platform allows us to measure sub-radiance, a rarely observed effect, presenting a novel tool for quantum optics. This result constitutes a proof-of-principle for collective behavior of macroscopically delocalized atomic states, a crucial element for new proposals in quantum information and many-body physics. Given the application of one-dimensional waveguides in photonic-based quantum technologies, we envision infinite-range interactions as the natural next step towards interconnecting quantum systems on scales suitable for practical applications.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Alignment-dependent decay rate of an atomic dipole near an optical nanofiber

We study the modification of the atomic spontaneous emission rate, i.e. Purcell effect, of $^{87}$Rb in the vicinity of an optical nanofiber ($\sim$500 nm diameter). We observe enhancement and inhibition of the atomic decay rate depending on the alignment of the induced atomic dipole relative to the nanofiber. Finite-difference time-domain simulations are in quantitative agreement with the measurements when considering the atoms as simple oscillating linear dipoles. This is surprising since the multi-level nature of the atoms should produce a different radiation pattern, predicting smaller modification of the lifetime than the measured ones. This work is a step towards characterizing and controlling atomic properties near optical waveguides, fundamental tools for the development of quantum photonics.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Optical Nanofibers: a new platform for quantum optics

The development of optical nanofibers (ONF) and the study and control of their optical properties when coupling atoms to their electromagnetic modes has opened new possibilities for their use in quantum optics and quantum information science. These ONFs offer tight optical mode confinement (less than the wavelength of light) and diffraction-free propagation. The small cross section of the transverse field allows probing of linear and non-linear spectroscopic features of atoms with exquisitely low power. The cooperativity -- the figure of merit in many quantum optics and quantum information systems -- tends to be large even for a single atom in the mode of an ONF, as it is proportional to the ratio of the atomic cross section to the electromagnetic mode cross section. ONFs offer a natural bus for information and for inter-atomic coupling through the tightly-confined modes, which opens the possibility of one-dimensional many-body physics and interesting quantum interconnection applications. The presence of the ONF modifies the vacuum field, affecting the spontaneous emission rates of atoms in its vicinity. The high gradients in the radial intensity naturally provide the potential for trapping atoms around the ONF, allowing the creation of one-dimensional arrays of atoms. The same radial gradient in the transverse direction of the field is responsible for the existence of a large longitudinal component that introduces the possibility of spin-orbit coupling of the light and the atom, enabling the exploration of chiral quantum optics.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Dynamics of trapped atoms around an optical nanofiber probed through polarimetry

The evanescent field outside an optical nanofiber (ONF) can create optical traps for neutral atoms. We present a non-destructive method to characterize such trapping potentials. An off-resonance linearly polarized probe beam that propagates through the ONF experiences a slow axis of polarization produced by trapped atoms on opposite sides along the ONF. The transverse atomic motion is imprinted onto the probe polarization through the changing atomic index of of refraction. By applying a transient impulse, we measure a time-dependent polarization rotation of the probe beam that provides both a rapid and non-destructive measurement of the optical trapping frequencies.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Self-organization of atoms coupled to a chiral reservoir

Tightly confined modes of light, as in optical nanofibers or photonic crystal waveguides, can lead to large optical coupling in atomic systems, which mediates long-range interactions between atoms. These one-dimensional systems can naturally possess couplings that are asymmetric between modes propagating in different directions. Strong long-range interaction among atoms via these modes can drive them to a self-organized periodic distribution. In this paper, we examine the self-organizing behavior of atoms in one dimension coupled to a chiral reservoir. We determine the solution to the equations of motion in different parameter regimes, relative to both the detuning of the pump laser that initializes the atomic dipole-dipole interactions and the degree of reservoir chirality. In addition, we calculate possible experimental signatures such as reflectivity from self-organized atoms and motional sidebands.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Near-field measurement of modal interference in optical nanofibers for sub-Angstrom radius sensitivity

Optical nanofibers (ONF) of subwavelength dimensions confine light in modes with a strong evanescent field that can trap, probe, and manipulate nearby quantum systems. To measure the evanescent field and propagating modes, and to optimize ONF performance, a surface probe is desirable during fabrication. We demonstrate a nondestructive measurement of light propagation in ONFs by sampling the local evanescent field with a microfiber. This approach reveals the behavior of all propagating modes, and because the modal beat lengths in cylindrical waveguides depend strongly on radius, simultaneously provides exquisite sensitivity to the ONF radius. We show that our measured spatial frequencies provide a map of the average ONF radius (over a 600 micrometer window) along the 10 mm ONF waist with 40 picometer resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio. The measurements agree with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to within SEM instrument resolution. This fast method is immune to polarization, intrinsic birefringence, mechanical vibrations, scattered light, and provides a set of constraints to protect from systematic errors in the measurements

physics.optics↗

arXiv2016

Realizing quantum advantage without entanglement in single-photon states

We discuss the realization of quantum advantage in a system without quantum entanglement but with non-zero quantum discord. We propose an optical realization of symmetric two-qubit $X$-states with controllable anti-diagonal elements. This approach does not requires initially entangled states, and it can generate states that have quantum discord, with or without entanglement. We discuss how quantum advantage can be attained in the context of a two-qubit game. We show that when entanglement is not present, the maximum quantum advantage is 1/3 bit. A comparable quantum advantage, 0.311 bit, can be realized with a simplified transaction protocol involving one vs. the three unitary operations needed for the maximum advantage.

quant-ph↗