Ultracold quantum memories

Quantum technologies have demonstrated the potential for vast technological improvements in communication, metrology, and computation. Although there are a variety of ways to leverage quantum technologies, photonic technologies -- those which are based upon encoding information in light -- are an exciting paradigm. Photons can be transmitted over complex free-space or fibre networks with minimal decoherence. This is due to their weak interaction with other fields or particles. Although this is a desirable feature, it also becomes a technical challenge as this leads to the requirement of probabilistic protocols for quantum information processing.

Over recent decades, successive advances in laser science and atomic physics have made it possible to store and then retrieve, on demand, photonic information in an atomic vapour, therefore transitioning from probabilistic to deterministic protocols. This is named a photonic quantum memory. A substantial limiting factor in this technology is due to the motion of the atoms in which the photonic information is stored, leading to a reduction in memory lifetime. While long-lifetime quantum memories in ultracold-atom systems have previously been demonstrated, to date, these have only been laboratory demonstrations, and not commercially viable. The goal of this feasibility study is to leverage ColdQuanta's ultracold-atom technology to build a photonic quantum memory using laser-cooled atoms, showcasing state-of-the-art memory lifetime in a commercially scalable platform. In the coming decade, we anticipate devices built upon these techniques to become widespread as key components of vast quantum computing networks.