Provable Optimality of the Square-Tooth Atomic Frequency Comb Quantum Memory

Abstract

Atomic frequency comb (AFC) quantum memories are a promising technology for quantum repeater networks because they enable multi-mode, long-time, and high-fidelity storage of photons with on-demand retrieval. The optimization of the retrieval efficiency of an AFC memory is important because it strongly impacts the entanglement distribution rate in quantum networks. Despite initial theoretical analyses and recent experimental demonstrations, a rigorous proof of the universally optimal configuration for the highest AFC retrieval efficiency has not been presented. In this paper we present a simple analytical proof which shows that the optimized square tooth offers the highest retrieval efficiency among all tooth shapes, under the physical constraint of finite optical depth of an atomic ensemble. The optimality still holds when the non-zero background absorption and the finite optical linewidth of atoms are considered. We further compare square, Lorentzian and Gaussian tooth shapes to reinforce the practical advantage of the square-tooth AFC in retrieval efficiency. Our proof lays rigorous foundation for the recipe of creating optimal AFC under realistic experimental conditions.

Close to published version

References in corpus (45)

• The Quantum Internet
• Quantum cryptography: Public key distribution and coin tossing
• Storage of light in atomic vapor
• Quantum Teleportation is a Universal Computational Primitive
• Dark-State Polaritons in Electromagnetically Induced Transparency
• Multimode quantum memory based on atomic frequency combs
• Quantum Repeaters with Photon Pair Sources and Multi-Mode Memories
• Quantum repeaters: From quantum networks to the quantum internet
• A solid state light-matter interface at the single photon level
• Efficient long distance quantum communication
• Development of Quantum InterConnects for Next-Generation Information Technologies
• Multi-parameter estimation in networked quantum sensors
• Multiplexed Memory-Insensitive Quantum Repeaters
• Telecom-heralded entanglement between remote multimode solid-state quantum memories
• Demonstration of atomic frequency comb memory for light with spin-wave storage
• Photon Echoes Produced by Switching Electric Fields
• NetSquid, a NETwork Simulator for QUantum Information using Discrete events
• Towards a Distributed Quantum Computing Ecosystem
• Heralded entanglement distribution between two absorptive quantum memories
• One-hour coherent optical storage in an atomic frequency comb memory
• Impedance-matched cavity quantum memory
• Multimode Memories in Atomic Ensembles
• Quantum Storage of a Photonic Polarization Qubit in a Solid
• Multiplexed storage and real-time manipulation based on a multiple-degree-of-freedom quantum memory
• Rate-loss analysis of an efficient quantum repeater architecture
• Quantum Storage of Frequency-Multiplexed Heralded Single Photons
• Analysis of a quantum memory for photons based on controlled reversible inhomogeneous broadening
• Revival of Silenced Echo and Quantum Memory for Light
• SeQUeNCe: A Customizable Discrete-Event Simulator of Quantum Networks
• Towards highly multimode optical quantum memory for quantum repeaters
• Storage of multiple single-photon pulses emitted from a quantum dot in a solid-state quantum memory
• Efficient multi-mode quantum memory based on photon echo in optimal QED cavity
• A Cavity-Enhanced Room-Temperature Broadband Raman Memory
• Interfacing GHz-bandwidth heralded single photons with a room-temperature Raman quantum memory
• Nanophotonic quantum storage at telecommunications wavelength
• Efficiency optimization for Atomic Frequency Comb storage
• Efficient light storage in a crystal using an Atomic Frequency Comb
• Remote distribution of non-classical correlations over 1250 modes between a telecom photon and a ${}^{171}$Yb${}^{3+}$:Y${}_2$SiO${}_5$ crystal
• Approaches for a quantum memory at telecommunication wavelengths
• Optimising repeater schemes for the quantum internet
• Quantum optical memory protocols in atomic ensembles
• Policies for elementary links in a quantum network
• Optimizing inhomogeneous spin ensembles for quantum memory
• Rephasing processes and quantum memory for light: reversibility issues and how to fix them
• Analytical Performance Estimations for Quantum Repeater Network Scenarios

Cited by in corpus (2)

• Uniting Quantum Processing Nodes of Cavity-coupled Ions with Rare-earth Quantum Repeaters Using Single-photon Pulse Shaping Based on Atomic Frequency Comb
• Broadband and long-duration optical memory in Yb:YSO