Abstract
Realization of distributed quantum systems requires fast generation and long-term storage of quantum states. Ground atomic states enable memories with storage times in the range of a minute, however their relatively weak interactions do not allow fast creation of non-classical collective states. Rydberg atomic systems feature fast preparation of singly excited collective states and their efficient mapping into light, but storage times in these approaches have not yet exceeded a few microseconds. Here we demonstrate a system that combines fast quantum state generation and long-term storage. An initially prepared coherent state of an atomic memory is transformed into a non-classical collective atomic state by Rydberg-level interactions in less than a microsecond. By sheltering the quantum state in the ground atomic levels, the storage time is increased by almost two orders of magnitude. This advance opens a door to a number of quantum protocols for scalable generation and distribution of entanglement.
Highlights
Realization of distributed quantum systems requires fast generation and long-term storage of quantum states
Atomic systems involving highly excited Rydberg states are an attractive system for the continuing quest to realize large-scale quantum networks[1,2,3,4,5,6]
Notable achievements include the demonstration of deterministic Rydberg single-photon sources[9,10], atom-photon entanglement[11], many-body Rabi oscillations[12,13,14,15], photon antibunching and interaction-induced phase shifts[16,17] and single-photon switches[18,19,20]. In parallel to these efforts, significant advances have been made in employing Rydberg interactions for entanglement of pairs of neutral atoms[21,22,23] and many-body interferometry[24]
Summary
Realization of distributed quantum systems requires fast generation and long-term storage of quantum states. Notable achievements include the demonstration of deterministic Rydberg single-photon sources[9,10], atom-photon entanglement[11], many-body Rabi oscillations[12,13,14,15], photon antibunching and interaction-induced phase shifts[16,17] and single-photon switches[18,19,20] In parallel to these efforts, significant advances have been made in employing Rydberg interactions for entanglement of pairs of neutral atoms[21,22,23] and many-body interferometry[24]. Deterministic single photons can be produced using measurement and feedback of Raman-scattered light fields[28], but the generation times are B1 ms—three orders of magnitude longer than in Rydberg approaches Such considerations suggest to employ Rydberg levels for interactions and ground levels for storage to achieve both fast quantum operations and long-lived memory. We demonstrate a quantum memory where a non-classical polariton state created by Rydberg interactions is sheltered in the ground hyperfine sublevels for long-term storage
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