Extracting the phase information from atomic memory by intensity correlation measurement.

Area of Science:

• Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
• Quantum Information Science
• Nonlinear Optics

Background:

• Optical phase information is crucial for applications like holography and optical processing.
• Storing and retrieving optical phase information efficiently remains a significant challenge.
• Raman processes in atomic systems offer potential for quantum information manipulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate experimental control over the storage and retrieval of optical phase information.
• To investigate a higher-order interference scheme utilizing the Raman process.
• To explore the potential of atomic spin waves for phase information encoding.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing (87)Rb atomic vapor cells for the experiment.
• Employing a Raman process for writing phase information into atomic spin waves.
• Performing intensity correlation measurements between write and read fields to observe interference patterns.
• Scanning the phase of the Raman write field to analyze retrieval fidelity.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated controlled storage and retrieval of optical phase information.
• Observed an interference pattern in intensity correlation measurements, confirming phase encoding.
• Showcased that phase information can be written into atomic spin waves via a high-gain Raman process.
• Confirmed subsequent readout via a spin-wave enhanced Raman process.

Conclusions:

• The developed technique enables effective optical storage of phase information.
• The method relies on writing phase information into atomic spin waves and reading it out.
• Potential applications include optical phase image storage, holography, and advanced information processing.