Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 5, 2026

10:00
Gradient Echo Quantum Memory in Warm Atomic Vapor
Published on: November 11, 2013
Atomic vapor quantum memory for a photonic polarization qubit
1Department of Physics, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790-784, Korea.
Optics Express
|December 18, 2010
Summary
Researchers created an atomic vapor quantum memory storing photonic polarization qubits. This quantum memory, using electromagnetically-induced transparency in warm Rubidium atoms, achieved over 0.91 fidelity for 16 μs.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Information Science
- Atomic Physics
- Quantum Optics
Background:
- Quantum memories are crucial for quantum communication and computation.
- Storing photonic qubits in atomic ensembles is a promising approach.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally realize and characterize an atomic vapor quantum memory for photonic polarization qubits.
- To evaluate the performance of the memory using quantum process tomography.
Main Methods:
- Utilized electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) in warm Rubidium atoms.
- Employed two spatially separated atomic ensembles within a single vapor cell.
- Characterized the quantum memory performance using quantum process tomography.
Main Results:
- Achieved a process fidelity greater than 0.91.
- Demonstrated successful storage of photonic polarization qubits for up to 16 microseconds.
Conclusions:
- The experimental realization demonstrates a viable atomic vapor quantum memory for polarization qubits.
- The achieved fidelity and storage time show potential for practical quantum information applications.
Related Concept Videos
The Quantum-Mechanical Model of an Atom
Shortly after de Broglie published his ideas that the electron in a hydrogen atom could be better thought of as being a circular standing wave instead of a particle moving in quantized circular orbits, Erwin Schrödinger extended de Broglie’s work by deriving what is now known as the Schrödinger equation. When Schrödinger applied his equation to hydrogen-like atoms, he was able to reproduce Bohr’s expression for the energy and, thus, the Rydberg formula governing hydrogen spectra. Schrödinger...
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Overview
NMR-active nuclei have energy levels called 'spin states' that are associated with the orientations of their nuclear magnetic moments. In the absence of a magnetic field, the nuclear magnetic moments are randomly oriented, and the spin states are degenerate. When an external magnetic field is applied, the spin states have only 2 + 1 orientations available to them. A proton with = ½ has two available orientations. Similarly, for a quadrupolar nucleus with a nuclear spin value of one, the...
Quantum Numbers
It is said that the energy of an electron in an atom is quantized; that is, it can be equal only to certain specific values and can jump from one energy level to another but not transition smoothly or stay between these levels.
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes
In the absence of an external magnetic field, nuclear spin states are degenerate and randomly oriented. When a magnetic field is applied, the spins begin to precess and orient themselves along (lower energy) or against (higher energy) the direction of the field. At equilibrium, a slight excess population of spins exists in the lower energy state. Because the direction of the magnetic field is fixed as the z-axis, the precessing magnetic moments are randomly oriented around the z-axis. This...
Deactivation Processes: Jablonski Diagram
Luminescence, the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed energy, is a process that involves the interaction of molecules with light. The energy-level diagram, or Jablonski diagram, is a graphical representation of these interactions, illustrating the various states and transitions a molecule can undergo. In a typical Jablonski diagram, the lowest horizontal line represents the ground-state energy of the molecule, which is usually a singlet state. This state represents the energies...
Dielectric Polarization in a Capacitor
The presence of a dielectric medium in a capacitor not only changes the voltage and capacitance but also affects the electric field. In general, dielectrics can be of two types: polar and nonpolar. In a polar dielectric, the positive and negative charges in the molecules are separated by a distance and hence have a permanent dipole moment. In contrast, no such charge separation exists in a nonpolar dielectric, however the nonpolar molecules get polarized in the presence of an external electric...

