arXiv subjects

Pei-Chen Kuan

Publications and source records attributed to Pei-Chen Kuan.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Controlled Displacement of Stored Light at Room Temperature

We report the demonstration of spatially translating a stored optical pulse at room temperature over distances exceeding one optical wavelength. By implementing an interferometric scheme, we further measure the average speed of this linear translation, thus harnessing a stopped-light experiment for a sensing application. This work extends the use of quantum memories beyond quantum communication and information contexts, opening a pathway to novel methods of velocity measurements with high sensitivity.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Frequency-tunable biphoton generation via spontaneous four-wave mixing

We present experimental results on tuning biphoton frequency by introducing a detuned coupling field in spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM), and examine its impact on the pairing ratio. This tunability is achieved by manipulating the inherent electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) effect in the double-$Λ$ scheme. Introducing a detuned coupling field degrades the efficiency of EIT-based stimulated four-wave mixing, which in turn reduces the biphoton pairing ratio. However, this reduction can be mitigated by increasing the optical power of the coupling field. Additionally, we observe that blue- and red-detuning the biphoton frequency results in distinct temporal profiles of biphoton wavepackets due to phase mismatch. These findings provide insights into the mechanisms of frequency-tunable biphoton generation via SFWM, and suggest potential optimizations for applications in quantum communication and information processing.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Laser Cooling of 85Rb Atoms to the Recoil Temperature Limit

We demonstrate the laser cooling of 85Rb atoms in a two-dimensional optical lattice. We follow the two-step degenerate Raman sideband cooling scheme [Kerman et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 439 (2000)], where a fast cooling of atoms to an auxiliary state is followed by a slow cooling to a dark state. This method has the advantage of independent control of the heating rate and cooling rate from the optical pumping beam. We operate the lattice at a Lamb-Dicke parameter eta=0.45 and show the cooling of spin-polarized 85Rb atoms to the recoil temperature in both dimension within 2.4 ms with the aid of adiabatic cooling.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2016

Large Fizeau's light-dragging effect in a moving electromagnetically induced transparent medium

As one of the most influential experiments on the development of modern macroscopic theory from Newtonian mechanics to Einstein's special theory of relativity, the phenomenon of light dragging in a moving medium has been discussed and observed extensively in different types of systems. To have a significant dragging effect, the long duration of light travelling in the medium is preferred. Here we demonstrate a light-dragging experiment in an electromagnetically induced transparent cold atomic ensemble and enhance the dragging effect by at least three orders of magnitude compared with the previous experiments. With a large enhancement of the dragging effect, we realize an atom-based velocimeter that has a sensitivity two orders of magnitude higher than the velocity width of the atomic medium used. Such a demonstration could pave the way for motional sensing using the collective state of atoms in a room temperature vapour cell or solid state material.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2015

High-resolution atom interferometers with suppressed diffraction phases

We experimentally and theoretically study the diffraction phase of large-momentum transfer beam splitters in atom interferometers based on Bragg diffraction. We null the diffraction phase and increase the sensitivity of the interferometer by combining Bragg diffraction with Bloch oscillations. We demonstrate agreement between experiment and theory, and a 1500-fold reduction of the diffraction phase, limited by measurement noise. In addition to reduced systematic effects, our interferometer has high contrast with up to 4.4 million radians of phase difference, and a resolution in the fine structure constant of $δα/α=0.25\,$ppb in 25 hours of integration time.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2012

Influence of the Coriolis force in atom interferometry

In a light-pulse atom interferometer, we use a tip-tilt mirror to remove the influence of the Coriolis force from Earth's rotation and to characterize configuration space wave packets. For interferometers with large momentum transfer and large pulse separation time, we improve the contrast by up to 350% and suppress systematic effects. We also reach what is to our knowledge the largest spacetime area enclosed in any atom interferometer to date. We discuss implications for future high performance instruments.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2010

Sources and technology for an atomic gravitational wave interferometric sensor

We study the use of atom interferometers as detectors for gravitational waves in the mHz - Hz frequency band, which is complementary to planned optical interferometers, such as laser interferometer gravitational wave observatories (LIGOs) and the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). We describe an optimized atomic gravitational wave interferometric sensor (AGIS), whose sensitivity is proportional to the baseline length to power of 5/2, as opposed to the linear scaling of a more conservative design. Technical challenges are briefly discussed, as is a table-top demonstrator AGIS that is presently under construction at Berkeley. We study a range of potential sources of gravitational waves visible to AGIS, including galactic and extra-galactic binaries. Based on the predicted shot noise limited performance, AGIS should be capable of detecting type Ia supernovae precursors within 500 pc, up to 200 years beforehand. An optimized detector may be capable of detecting waves from RX J0806.3+1527.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2010

Gravitational Redshift, Equivalence Principle, and Matter Waves

We review matter wave and clock comparison tests of the gravitational redshift. To elucidate their relationship to tests of the universality of free fall (UFF), we define scenarios wherein redshift violations are coupled to violations of UFF ("type II"), or independent of UFF violations ("type III"), respectively. Clock comparisons and atom interferometers are sensitive to similar effects in type II and precisely the same effects in type III scenarios, although type III violations remain poorly constrained. Finally, we describe the "Geodesic Explorer," a conceptual spaceborne atom interferometer that will test the gravitational redshift with an accuracy 5 orders of magnitude better than current terrestrial redshift experiments for type II scenarios and 12 orders of magnitude better for type III.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2008

Stationary Light Pulses without Bragg Gratings

The underlying mechanism of the stationary light pulse (SLP) was identified as a band gap being created by a Bragg grating formed by two counter-propagating coupling fields of similar wavelength. Here we present a more general view of the formation of SLPs, namely several balanced four-wave mixing processes sharing the same ground-state coherence. Utilizing this new concept we report the first experimental observation of a bichromatic SLP at wavelengths for which no Bragg grating can be established. We also demonstrate the production of a SLP directly from a propagating light pulse without prior storage. Being easily controlled externally makes SLPs a very versatile tool for low-light-level nonlinear optics and quantum information manipulation.

physics.optics↗