Towards an efficient atomic frequency comb quantum memory

Abstract

We present an efficient photon-echo experiment based on atomic frequency combs [Phys. Rev. A 79 (2009) 052329]. Echoes containing an energy of up to 35% of that of the input pulse are observed in a Pr 3+-doped Y 2SiO 5 crystal. This material allows for the precise spectral holeburning needed to make a sharp and highly absorbing comb structure. We compare our results with a simple theoretical model with satisfactory agreement. Our results show that atomic frequency combs has the potential for high-efficiency storage of single photons as required in future long-distance communication based on quantum repeaters.