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Topic Name: Quantum physics: the perfect couple
Category: Quantum Computing
Research persons: Kastler Brossel Laboratory
Location: Paris, France
Details
Understanding the interaction between light and matter, and use this interaction for quantum applications, is the objective of researchers Kastler Brossel Laboratory (LKB, CNRS / Universite Paris 6/EN), which just taken another step more in this direction.
The Cavity quantum electrodynamics is a branch of physics that uses quantum atoms trapped between two mirrors (a cavity) for them to interact with photons. It will advance our understanding of quantum phenomena and is now an area of active research.
Previous studies have demonstrated a strong linkage between an individual atom and a photon in the cavity, so that the atom and the photon are an inseparable entity. The team of Jakob Reichel at LKB, adds a new ingredient in cavity quantum electrodynamics. The experiment uses not one but thousands of atoms, which increases the intensity of the coupling. Moreover, the atoms are present in the cavity as a Bose-Einstein condensate (1), which provides excellent control of the position of atoms, and thus their coupling to the cavity. . This result is a first, which was achieved through a combination of a new type of microscopic cavity (2) and "atom chip, which miniaturized the experimental and simplifies the production of condensate. These two technologies are the perfect couple for this kind of experience. This experience could lead to applications in communications and quantum computing.
In the circle expanded, two pairs of optical fibers form two microscopic cavities (the second cavity is planned for future applications). The chip atoms, bottom left, form one of the walls of a small vacuum, in which we create the Bose-Einstein condensate. It allows for positioning condensate in the cavity between two fibers.
Notes:
(1) The Bose-Einstein condensate is a cloud of ultracold atoms occupying all the fundamental quantum state, its size is reduced to its theoretical minimum.
(2) optical fibers are shaped by a laser power to produce mirror surfaces extremely smooth, then placed face to face, to 39 micrometers apart.
References:
Strong atom-field coupling for Bose-Einsteincondensates in an optical cavity on a chip. Yves Colombe, Tilo Steinmetz, Guilhem Dubois, Felix Linke, David Hunger & Jakob Reichel.
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