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Quantum Physics, quant-ph
Abstract:
This article reviews recent research towards a universal light-matter
interface. Such an interface is an important prerequisite for long distance
quantum communication, entanglement assisted sensing and measurement, as well
as for scalable photonic quantum computation. We review the developments in
light-matter interfaces based on room temperature atomic vapors interacting
with propagating pulses via the Faraday effect. This interaction has long been
used as a tool for quantum nondemolition detections of atomic spins via light.
It was discovered recently that this type of light-matter interaction can
actually be tuned to realize more general dynamics, enabling better performance
of the light-matter interface as well as rendering tasks possible, which were
before thought to be impractical. This includes the realization of improved
entanglement assisted and backaction evading magnetometry approaching the
Quantum Cramer-Rao limit, quantum memory for squeezed states of light and the
dissipative generation of entanglement. A separate, but related, experiment on
entanglement assisted cold atom clock showing the Heisenberg scaling of
precision is described. We also review a possible interface between collective
atomic spins with nano- or micromechanical oscillators, providing a link
between atomic and solid state physics approaches towards quantum information
processing.
