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Quasi-light Storage for Optical Data Packets
Published on: February 6, 2014
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All-optical switch and transistor gated by one stored photon
Wenlan Chen1, Kristin M Beck, Robert Bücker
1Department of Physics and Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|July 6, 2013
Summary
Researchers developed an all-optical transistor using a stored photon to control light transmission. This breakthrough in optical switching demonstrates significant potential for quantum computing and entanglement applications.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Optics
- Atomic Physics
- Photonics
Background:
- Achieving an all-optical transistor, where a single photon controls light, is a major objective in optics.
- Previous attempts faced challenges in efficient photon control and interaction within optical systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a functional all-optical transistor by controlling light pulses with single photons.
- To investigate the potential of atomic ensembles and optical resonators for photon-based switching.
Main Methods:
- Storing a 'gate' photon within an atomic ensemble inside an optical resonator.
- Using the stored gate photon to modulate the transmission of subsequent 'source' photons.
- Analyzing the transmission distribution and attenuation caused by the gate photon.
Main Results:
- A single stored gate photon attenuated source photon transmission fivefold.
- The device exhibited bimodal transmission, indicating control by zero or one gate photon.
- The gate photon could switch hundreds of source photons without retrieval, and several with retrieval.
Conclusions:
- The study successfully realized a device acting as an all-optical transistor.
- This work paves the way for photonic quantum gates and deterministic multiphoton entanglement.
- Improved storage and retrieval efficiencies could unlock advanced photonic applications.
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