A multiplexed light-matter interface for fibre-based quantum networks.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 27046076.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/ncomms11202 and PMC identifier 4822043.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Processing and distributing quantum information using photons through fibre-optic or free-space links are essential for building future quantum networks. The scalability needed for such networks can be achieved by employing photonic quantum states that are multiplexed into time and/or frequency, and light-matter interfaces that are able to store and process such states with large time-bandwidth product and multimode capacities. Despite important progress in developing such devices, the demonstration of these capabilities using non-classical light remains challenging. Here, employing the atomic frequency comb quantum memory protocol in a cryogenically cooled erbium-doped optical fibre, we report the quantum storage of heralded single photons at a telecom-wavelength (1.53 μm) with a time-bandwidth product approaching 800. Furthermore, we demonstrate frequency-multimode storage and memory-based spectral-temporal photon manipulation. Notably, our demonstrations rely on fully integrated quantum technologies operating at telecommunication wavelengths. With improved storage efficiency, our light-matter interface may become a useful tool in future quantum networks.