QUROPE Quantum Information Processing and Communication in Europe

The quantum dynamics of a strongly driven, strongly coupled single-atom-cavity system is studied by evaluating time-dependent second- and third-order correlations of the emitted photons. The coherent energy exchange, first, between the atom and the cavity mode, and second, between the atom-cavity system and the driving laser, is observed. Three-photon detections show an asymmetry in time, a consequence of the breakdown of detailed balance. The results are in good agreement with theory and are a first step towards the control of a quantum trajectory at larger driving strength.

State mapping between atoms and photons, and photon-photon interactions play an important role in scalable quantum information processing. We consider the interaction of a two-level atom with a quantized \textit{propagating} pulse in free space and study the probability $P_e(t)$ of finding the atom in the excited state at any time $t$. This probability is expected to depend on (i) the quantum state of the pulse field and (ii) the overlap between the pulse and the dipole pattern of the atomic spontaneous emission.

We propose to implement the Jaynes-Cummings model by coupling a few-micrometer large atomic ensemble to a quantized cavity mode and classical laser fields. A two-photon transition resonantly couples the single-atom ground state |g> to a Rydberg state |e> via a non-resonant intermediate state |i>, but due to the interaction between Rydberg atoms only a single atom can be resonantly excited in the ensemble.

An optical microcavity with small mode radius is used to measure the local density of a cold atom cloud. Atom densities below 1 per cavity mode volume are measured with signals near the photon shot-noise limit. Atom detection is fast and efficient, reaching fidelities in excess of 97% after 10 us and 99.9% after 30 us. Notably, the fluctuations of the detected photon counts are smaller than expected for Poissonian distributions of atoms probed with Poissonian light fields.

We study the nonlinear dynamics of an ensemble of cold trapped atoms with a hyperfine transition magnetically coupled to a resonant microwave cavity mode. Despite the minute single atom coupling one obtains strong coupling between collective hyperfine qubits and microwave photons enabling coherent transfer of an excitation between the long lived atomic qubit state and the mode. Evidence of strong coupling can be obtained from the cavity transmission spectrum even at finite thermal photon number.