Atom-photon connection

Abstract:

We present the effects of resonator birefringence on the cavity-enhanced interfacing of quantum states of light and matter, including the first observation of single photons with a time-dependent polarisation state that evolves within their coherence time. A theoretical model is introduced and experimentally verified by the modified polarisation of temporally-long single photons emitted from a $^{87}$Rb atom coupled to a high-finesse optical cavity by a vacuum-stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (V-STIRAP) process. Further theoretical investigation shows how a change in cavity birefringence can both impact the atom-cavity coupling and engender starkly different polarisation behaviour in the emitted photons. With polarisation a key resource for encoding quantum states of light and modern micron-scale cavities particularly prone to birefringence, the consideration of these effects is vital to the faithful realisation of efficient and coherent emitter-photon interfaces for distributed quantum networking and communications.

Abstract:

The enhanced interaction of quantum states of light and matter within an optical resonator is a powerful tool for both addressing fundamental questions of nature and pursuing quantum technologies. Here, we discuss the impact of cavity birefringence - a lifting of the degeneracy of polarisation modes within the resonator - on both of these challenges. A novel model for such systems is experimentally verified by the cavity emission of single photons with time-dependent polarisation states that evolve along their wavepacket [1]. This model is then used to demonstrate how a tailored birefringence allows for enhanced photon emission beyond previous limitations [2].