The team of researchers at Purdue University, led by Chen-Lung Hung, has made a significant breakthrough by trapping cesium atoms on an integrated photonic circuit. This circuit acts as a transistor for photons, demonstrating the potential to construct a quantum network based on cold-atom integrated nanophotonic circuits. Through laser cooling and tight trapping, the atoms are immobilized on the nanophotonic circuit, where light travels in a small photonic ‘wire,’ allowing efficient interaction between trapped atoms and confined photons.
One of the key aspects of the team’s research is the development of an atom-coupled microring resonator that functions as a “transistor” for photons. By manipulating the state of the trapped atoms, the flow of light through the circuit can be gated. When the atoms are in the correct state, photons can pass through, while they are stopped if the atoms are in a different state. This interaction between atoms and photons allows for the efficient modulation of photon transmission on the integrated photonic chip.
Xinchao Zhou, a graduate student involved in the project, highlights the significance of collectively coupling up to 70 atoms to photons and gating their transmission. The synchronized motion of all atoms, which are indistinguishable and the same, leads to stronger interactions with light, building up phase coherence. This level of coherence enables atoms to collectively interact with photons, demonstrating new collective effects that are challenging to achieve with solid-state emitters in traditional photonic circuits.
The platform established through this research offers a promising photonic link for future distributed quantum computing systems based on neutral atoms. It also serves as an experimental setting to investigate collective light-matter interactions and synthesize quantum degenerate trapped gases or ultracold molecules. By leveraging quantum superposition principles, the atom-coupled integrated photonic circuit enables the manipulation and storage of quantum information in trapped atoms, paving the way for the efficient transfer of quantum data into photons for communication across quantum networks.
The research team at Purdue University plans to continue exploring this innovative research area, aiming to arrange trapped atoms in an organized array along the photonic waveguide to achieve selective radiance. This proposed concept, based on constructive and destructive interference of waves, could enhance photon storage fidelity in quantum systems. Furthermore, the team intends to investigate the formation of new quantum states on integrated photonic circuits to study few- and many-body physics with atom-photon interactions, potentially reaching quantum degeneracy to create a gas of strongly interacting Bose-Einstein condensate.
The research conducted at Purdue University opens up new possibilities for the development of quantum networks based on cold-atom integrated nanophotonic circuits. By harnessing the collective interactions between trapped atoms and photons, the team has laid the foundation for advanced quantum computing systems and fundamental studies in quantum physics. With a bright future ahead, this research showcases the potential of integrating cold atoms into nanophotonic circuits for groundbreaking applications in quantum technology.
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