Coherent Quantum Optical Control with Subwavelength Resolution

Abstract

We suggest a new method for quantum optical control with nanoscale resolution. Our method allows for coherent far-field manipulation of individual quantum systems with spatial selectivity that is not limited by the wavelength of radiation and can, in principle, approach a few nanometers. The selectivity is enabled by the nonlinear atomic response, under the conditions of Electromagnetically Induced Transparency, to a control beam with intensity vanishing at a certain location. Practical performance of this technique and its potential applications to quantum information science with cold atoms, ions, and solid-state qubits are discussed.

4 pages, 2 figures. V2: changes in presentation (text, figures, tables) and new references - final version as published in Phys. Rev. Lett.

References in corpus (3)

• Stationary pulses of light in an atomic medium
• Sublattice addressing and spin-dependent motion of atoms in a double-well lattice
• Addressing individual atoms in optical lattices with standing-wave driving fields

Cited by in corpus (6)

• Anyonic interferometry and protected memories in atomic spin lattices
• Optical imaging beyond the diffraction limit via dark states
• Quantum Many-Body Dynamics of Coupled Double-Well Superlattices
• State-dependent, addressable subwavelength lattices with cold atoms
• Physical replicas and the Bose-glass in cold atomic gases
• Scalability of quantum computation with addressable optical lattices