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Optics Express

Optics Express

  • Editor: Michael Duncan
  • Vol. 14, Iss. 15 — Jul. 24, 2006
  • pp: 6912–6918

Optics InfoBase > Optics Express > Volume 14 > Issue 15 > Page 6912

Efficient retrieval of a single excitation stored in an atomic ensemble

Julien Laurat, Hugues de Riedmatten, Daniel Felinto, Chin-Wen Chou, Erik W. Schomburg, and H. Jeff Kimble  »View Author Affiliations


Optics Express, Vol. 14, Issue 15, pp. 6912-6918 (2006)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.14.006912


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Abstract

We report significant improvements in the retrieval efficiency of a single excitation stored in an atomic ensemble and in the subsequent generation of strongly correlated pairs of photons. A 50% probability of transforming the stored excitation into one photon in a well-defined spatio-temporal mode at the output of the ensemble is demonstrated. These improvements are illustrated by the generation of high-quality heralded single photons with a suppression of the two-photon component below 1% of the value for a coherent state. A broad characterization of our system is performed for different parameters in order to provide input for the future design of realistic quantum networks.

© 2006 Optical Society of America

OCIS Codes
(020.0020) Atomic and molecular physics : Atomic and molecular physics
(270.0270) Quantum optics : Quantum optics
(270.5290) Quantum optics : Photon statistics

ToC Category:
Quantum Optics

History
Original Manuscript: May 15, 2006
Revised Manuscript: July 5, 2006
Manuscript Accepted: July 10, 2006
Published: July 24, 2006

Citation
Julien Laurat, Hugues de Riedmatten, Daniel Felinto, Chin-Wen Chou, Erik W. Schomburg, and H. Jeff Kimble, "Efficient retrieval of a single excitation stored in an atomic ensemble," Opt. Express 14, 6912-6918 (2006)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-14-15-6912


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