Quantum coherence effects in a four-level diamond-shape atomic system

A symmetric four-level closed-loop ? type (the diamond-shape) atomic system driven by four coherent optical fields is investigated. The system shows rich quantum interference and coherence features. When symmetry of the system is broken, interesting phenomena such as single and double-dark resonances appear. As a result, the controllable double electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) effect is generated, which will facilitate the implementation of quantum phase gate (QPG) operation.     

Entanglement, quantum phase transition and fixed-point bifurcation in the N-atom Jaynes-Cummings model with an additional symmetry breaking term

In the present work we analyze the quantum phase transition (QPT) in the N-atom Jaynes-Cummings model (NJCM) with an additional symmetry breaking interaction term in the Hamiltonian. We show that depending on the type of symmetry breaking term added the transition order can change or not and also the fixed point associated to the classical analogue of the Hamiltonian can bifurcate or not. We present two examples of symmetry broken Hamiltonians and discuss based on them, the interconnection between the transition order, appearance of bifurcation and the behavior of the entanglement.     

Time-Dependent Variational Approach to Ground-State Phase Transition and Phonon Dispersion Relation of the Quantum Double-Well Model

The ground-state phase transition and the phonon dispersion relation of the quantum double-well model are studied by means of the time-dependent variational approach combined with a Hartree-type many-body trial wavefunction. The single-particle state is taken to be a frozen Jackiw-Kerman wavefunction. Under the condition of minimum uncertainty relation, we obtain an effective classical Hamiltonian for the system and equations of motion for the particle＇s expectation values. It is shown that the effective substrate potential transits from a symmetric double-well potential to a symmetric single-well potential, and the ground state exhibits a transition from a broken symmetry phase to a restored symmetry phase as increasing the strength of quantum fluctuations. We also obtain the phonon dispersion relations and the phonon gaps at the two phases.     

Quantum nondemolition measurement of transverse atomic position in Kapitza-Dirac atomic beam scattering

It is demonstrated that one can measure the distribution of the transverse position of an atom crossing one or more optical cavities by monitoring the phase of the standing wave fields in the cavities. For the atom-field interaction the Kapitza-Dirac regime is assumed; it is shown that in this regime the method represents a quantum nondemolition measurement of the atomic position. On the other hand it can be applied to prepare narrow distributions of the transverse atomic position. In order to show this, a numerical simulation is performed, which illustrates the collapse of a broad initial Gaussian wavepacket, which can be coherent or incoherent, to a distribution with narrow peaks. Preparing the cavity fields in a squeezed state, one can greatly enhance the impact of the cavity field measurements on the atomic density matrix.     

Preparation of Cluster States of Atomic Qubits in Cavity QED

We propose an optical scheme to generate cluster states of atomic qubits, with each trapped in separate optical cavity, via atom-cavity-laser interaction. The quantum information of each qubit is encoded on the degenerate ground states of the atom, hence the entanglement between them is relatively stable against spontaneous emission. A single-photon source and two classical fields are employed in the present scheme. By controlling the sequence and time of atom-cavity-laser interaction, we show that the atomic cluster states can be produced deterministically.     

A Scheme for Generating Entangled Squeezed States Based on Cavity QED

We propose a scheme for generating entangled squeezed vacuum states of electromagnetical fields. The scheme is based on cavity QED. In this scheme, an atom interacts, successively, with a classical field, two quantum cavity fields, and another classical field. By detecting the final states of the atom, the two quantum cavity fields will be projected to an entangled state.     

Quantum memory process with a four-level atomic ensemble

We examine in detail the quantum memory technique for photons in a double Λ atomic ensemble in this work. The novel application of the present technique to create two different quantum probe fields as well as entangled states of them is proposed. A larger zero-degeneracy class besides dark-state subspace is investigated and the adiabatic condition is confirmed in the present model. We extend the single-mode quantum memory technique to the case with multi-mode probe fields, and reveal the exact pulse matching phenomenon between two quantized pulses in the present system.     

Quantum interference and population swapping in single quantum dots with V-type three-level

The quantum interference and Rabi oscillation of a V-type three-level system with two orthogonal sub-states in an elongated semiconductor quantum dot are discussed theoretically with optical Bloch equations when the system is driven by pulse-pair. Numerical calculations from the optical Bloch equations reveal that the quantum interference in the system is enhanced with the increasing of the energy decay or splitting. Furthermore, the populations swapping in two orthogonal sub-states can be realized though the direct transition is prohibited.     

Quantum phase gate in decoherence-free subspace with cavity QED system

We demonstrate how to perform quantum phase gate with cavity QED system in decoherence-free subspace by using only linear optics elements and photon detectors. The qubits are encoded in the singlet state of the atoms in cavities among spatially separated nodes, and the quantum interference of polarized photons decayed from the optical cavities is used to realized the desired quantum operation among distant nodes. In comparison with previous schemes, the distinct advantage is that the gate fidelity could not only resist collective noises, but also immune from atomic spontaneous emission, cavity decay, and imperfection of the photodetectors. We also discuss the experimental feasibility of our scheme.     

Manipulation of optical fields by atomic interferometry: Quantum variations on a theme by young

We analyze the principle of a very general and conceptually simple method for manipulating optical fields by coupling them into a matter waves Young double slit apparatus. The field, non resonant with the atoms, acts as a phase-retarding medium in one of the arms of the interferometer and shifts the atomic fringe pattern. The method constitutes a simple quantum nondemolition measuring scheme of the photon number. Non classical states such as Schrödinger cats and Fock states of the field are generated in the measurement process. The analysis of the atomic interferometer with optical retarding fields provides a very simple and striking illustration of basic concepts of the quantum measurement theory and of the principle of complementarity. This scheme, which would be very difficult to implement in the optical domain, is equivalent to a more feasible and recently proposed Ramsey interference method to measure small microwave fields with beams of Rydberg atoms.Associé au Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et à l'Université Pierre et Marie Curie     

Collective oscillations in quantum rings: A broken symmetry case

We present calculations within density functional theory of the ground state and collective electronic oscillations in small two-dimensional quantum rings. No spatial symmetries are imposed to the solutions and, as in a recent contribution, a transition to a broken symmetry solution in the intrinsic reference frame for an increasingly narrow ring is found. The oscillations are addressed by using real-time simulation. Conspicuous effects of the broken symmetry solution on the spectra are pointed out. Received 6 April 2000 and Received in final form 9 June 2000     

Controllable shape-matched propagation of two signal beams in a double-Λ atomic ensemble

We study a four-level double-Λ atomic ensemble interacting with two time-dependent signal fields and two stationary control fields. Though, in each Λ channel, a pair of signal and control fields couple resonantly with the two lower levels of atoms, the occurrences of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is affected by the coherence of the four fields. In the discussion of atomic susceptibilities, we show that the quantum coherence between the two lower levels can be either formed or released according to the phase matching of the four fields. We analyze the propagation equation of the two signal fields, and find two characteristic solutions: the stationary transmission wave and the transient decay wave. The former corresponds to a correlated EIT effect in which two signal pulses are shape-matched. The latter is an opposite effect to the correlated EIT in which two pulses quench simultaneously, thus named as the correlated two-signal absorption (CTSA). We propose the CTSA condition in correspondence with the EIT condition. The numerical simulation shows that the double-Λ configuration is capable of manipulating synchronous optical signals and thus provides multiplicity and versatility in quantum information process.     

Ultrafast control of coherent population transfer with a train of femtosecond pulse pairs

We investigate the ultrafast control of coherent population transfer in a Λ-type three-level system with a train of pump-Stokes femtosecond pulse pairs, where the pulse sequences can be produced either by optical delay line or by pulse shaping with sinusoidal phase modulation. It is shown that when the pump and Stokes pulses in each pair are applied in the counterintuitive order, similar to that in the stimulated Raman adiabatic passage technique, due to temporal quantum interference (besides optical interference in the case of overlapped subpulses), ultrafast control of coherent population transfer can be achieved by scanning the inter-pair time delay or by changing the sinusoidal phase modulation parameters. This method has potential applications in ultrafast control of chemical reactions and quantum information processing.     

Quantum interferences in coherent population trapping of a cold double Λ-type atom

We investigate quantum interferences in coherent population trapping of a cold double Λ-type four-level atomic system driven by two counterpropagating laser fields. We study both decoherence and enhanced-coherence actions resulting from the multi-transition pathways in building up the trapping state, and analyze the system operating with and without external coherences in various configurations of the atomic dipole moments.     

Chimera states in an ensemble of linearly locally coupled bistable oscillators

Effects of quantum deviation of a two-level atom at coherent scattering on an inhomogeneous optical potential created by crossed electromagnetic fields are considered. The region of interaction is formed by a lowfrequency quantized standing wave from a micromaser and a coherent traveling optical wave generated by an optical fiber located inside a cavity. The atom interacts with both fields under the conditions of two-photon two-wave resonance. It is shown that two effects of quantum deviation of translational motion of the atom can be observed. Interaction with the standing wave is caused under these conditions by a harmonic potential the character of scattering of the atom on which depends significantly on the initial conditions of preparation of the atom and quantized mode. The other effect—deviation of the atom by the classical traveling wave—is also completely quantum mechanical under these conditions and is produced by the noncommutative contribution of the kinetic energy operator of the atom and the interaction energy.     

Two-photon spectral coherence matrix and characterization of multi-parameter entangled states

In this Letter we discuss how the classical coherence matrix can be generalized to describe the quantum properties of broadband two-photon entangled states. Procedures for experimental evaluation of two-photon matrix elements have been outlined. We illustrate how this formalism can be used for characterization of multi-parameter optical entanglement and discuss its possible applications in quantum optical measurement and quantum coherent control.     

Evolution of population in an equispaced three-level ladder-type atomic system

Transient response of nearly equispaced three-level ladder-type atomic system with a broad-band squeezed vacuum (SV) is investigated. We focus our attention in the interplay between the quantum interference and the squeezed field on the population distribution. It is shown that an atomic population inversion can be attained on one of the optical transitions due to the SV. Additionally, we show, with the proper value of the relative phase, the SV can also lead to unexpected population inversion on the transition between two different levels.     

Quantum non-demolition measurements with optical solitons

The optical Kerr effect provides an ideal quantum non-demolition interaction. Experiments and proposals using this interaction are reviewed with special emphasis on optical soliton pulses propagating in fibres. The performance of a quantum non-demolition experiment using the optical Kerr effect may be reduced by self-phase modulation of the probe pulse. Proposals to overcome this limitation are discussed. Received: 15 April 1996     

Correlations in photon-numbers and integrated intensities in parametric processes involving three optical fields

Two strongly-pumped parametric interactions are simultaneously realized in a single nonlinear crystal in order to generate three strongly correlated optical fields. By combining together the outputs of two of the three detectors measuring intensities of the generated fields, we obtain the joint photocount statistics between the single field and the sum of the other two. We apply a microscopic quantum theory developed earlier to determine the joint photon-number distribution and the joint quasi-distributions of integrated intensities and prove nonclassical nature of the three-mode state. Finally, by performing a conditional measurement on the single field, we obtain a state endowed with a sub-Poissonian statistics, as testified by the analysis of the conditional Fano factor. The role of quantum detection efficiencies in this conditional state-preparation method is discussed in detail.     

Generation of pair coherent state using weak cross-Kerr media

We firstly give a nonlocal method for generating pair coherent state with two traveling wave fields in distinct districts. The experimental scheme proposed is based on a two-mode photon number matching process, which employs weak cross-Kerr media and on/off detection. Then we discuss the details for implementing this scheme, showing that it is robust against the low quantum efficiency of photon detectors and offers nearly perfect pair coherent states. Finally, we show how a two-mode Schrödinger cat state and a generalized two-mode correlated photon number state can be prepared via this matching process.