Stopped Light at High Storage Efficiency in a Pr^{3+}:Y_{2}SiO_{5} Crystal

Area of Science:

• Quantum optics
• Solid-state physics
• Materials science

Background:

• Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) enables novel light-matter interactions.
• Solid-state systems offer robust platforms for quantum information processing.
• Pr^{3+}:Y_{2}SiO_{5} is a suitable medium for optical memory applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate efficient storage and retrieval of light pulses using EIT in a Pr^{3+}:Y_{2}SiO_{5} crystal.
• To investigate the impact of optical depth and EIT parameters on storage efficiency.
• To validate EIT-driven solid-state memory theory.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a ring-type multipass configuration to enhance optical depth (OD) to ≈96.
• Optimized conditions for EIT to maximize light storage.
• Performed systematic measurements of storage efficiency against OD, Rabi frequency, and pulse duration.

Main Results:

• Achieved a light storage efficiency of (76.3±3.5)%.
• Demonstrated a significant increase in optical depth by a factor of 16.
• Systematic measurements confirmed theoretical predictions for EIT-driven memory.

Conclusions:

• Efficient light storage and retrieval in Pr^{3+}:Y_{2}SiO_{5} via EIT is feasible.
• The ring-type multipass configuration effectively enhances optical depth for improved performance.
• The experimental results strongly support the theoretical framework of EIT-based solid-state quantum memory.