Design and Simulation of Single-Photon Memory Devices

The project focuses on simulating the phenomenon of slow light for applications in quantum information processing and quantum communication. Slow light can be achieved by a number of different mechanisms such as electromagnetically induced transparency and four-wave mixing. The project will initially focus of the scheme based on Bragg gratings, where a pulse is propagated close to the band edge of a medium with a periodically varying refractive index (a grating). The intent is to use a medium with high non linear properties such that self phase modulation can be used to adjust the refractive index of the medium and move the band edge away from the pulse central frequency; the pulse will then be able to move off at the propagation speed of the medium. This will allow for the storage and release of photons over very short time scales.