Broadband single-photon-level memory in a hollow-core photonic crystal fibre
Storing information encoded in light is critical for realizing optical buffers for all-optical signal processing and quantum memories for quantum information processing. These proposals require efficient interaction between atoms and a well-defined optical mode. Photonic crystal fibres can enhance l...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Published: |
2014
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| Summary: | Storing information encoded in light is critical for realizing optical buffers for all-optical signal processing and quantum memories for quantum information processing. These proposals require efficient interaction between atoms and a well-defined optical mode. Photonic crystal fibres can enhance light-matter interactions and have engendered a broad range of nonlinear effects; however, the storage of light has proven elusive. Here, we report the first demonstration of an optical memory in a hollow-core photonic crystal fibre. We store gigahertz-bandwidth light in the hyperfine coherence of caesium atoms at room temperature using a far-detuned Raman interaction. We demonstrate a signal-to-noise ratio of 2.6:1 at the single-photon level and a memory efficiency of 27 ± 1%. Our results demonstrate the potential of a room-temperature fibre-integrated optical memory for implementing local nodes of quantum information networks. |
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