Dynamics of superatom quantum dots: single photon emission
Lead Research Organisation:
Durham University
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
Most current platforms for quantum information technology rely on low temperature, either produced by cryogenic cooling as in the case of quantum dots or laser cooling as in the case of atom and ion traps. In all cases this cooling carries a considerable overhead which reduces the potential for scaling. In this proposal we explore a novel quantum technology based on highly excited room temperature atoms. The key quantum ingredient is the strong interactions between highly excited Rydberg states. The term Rydberg is used to describe an atom in a state where the average position of the outer electron is very far from the nucleus, of order 10,000 farther away than for a ground state atom. Rydberg atoms are extremely sensitive to electric fields and extremely sensitive to each other. If a laser is applied to excite atoms to a Rydberg state the energy level shifts induced by strong atomic interactions inhibit multiple excitations by a process known as blockade. This blockade mechanism results in a highly entangled quantum state known as a superatom. In the superatom state the single excitation is distributed equally among all the constituent atoms. As the superatom can support only one electronic excitation, it may be considered as the atomic analogue of a semiconductor quantum dot. In contrast to most other quantum information technologies, superatom quantum dots in thermal ensembles require neither cryogenic nor laser cooling, and consequently offer a robust and practical platform for quantum information science.The goal of the project is to develop a high bandwidth probe to detect the dynamics of superatoms in thermal atomic ensembles, and investigate single photon emission from a superatom. The project will lay the foundations for scalable, room temperature, quantum computing.
Organisations
Publications
Bason M
(2009)
Narrow absorptive resonances in a four-level atomic system
in Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics
Keaveney J
(2012)
Cooperative Lamb shift in an atomic vapor layer of nanometer thickness.
in Physical review letters
Maxwell D
(2014)
Microwave control of the interaction between two optical photons
in Physical Review A
Paredes-Barato D
(2014)
All-optical quantum information processing using Rydberg gates.
in Physical review letters
Pritchard J
(2013)
Annual Review of Cold Atoms and Molecules - Volume 1
Pritchard JD
(2010)
Cooperative atom-light interaction in a blockaded Rydberg ensemble.
in Physical review letters
Whittaker KA
(2014)
Optical response of gas-phase atoms at less than ?/80 from a dielectric surface.
in Physical review letters
Zentile M
(2014)
The hyperfine Paschen-Back Faraday effect
Zentile M
(2014)
The hyperfine Paschen-Back Faraday effect
in Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics
Description | How to make photons interact. |
Exploitation Route | Photonic devices, quantum communications and information processing. |
Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) |
URL | http://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=AX_tUOsAAAAJ&hl=en |
Description | RYSQ |
Amount | £312,000 (ETB) |
Funding ID | 640378 |
Organisation | European Commission |
Sector | Public |
Country | European Union (EU) |
Start | 03/2015 |
End | 03/2018 |
Description | Rydberg soft matter |
Amount | £609,091 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/M014266/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2014 |
End | 04/2018 |