Early Warning Signals of the Tipping Point in Strongly Interacting Rydberg Atoms.

The identification of tipping points is essential for the prediction of collapses or other sudden changes in complex systems. Applications include studies of ecology, thermodynamics, climatology, and epidemiology. However, detecting early signs of proximity to a tipping is made challenging by complexity and nonlinearity.

Higher-order and fractional discrete time crystals in Floquet-driven Rydberg atoms.

Higher-order and fractional discrete time crystals (DTCs) are exotic phases of matter where the discrete time translation symmetry is broken into higher-order and non-integer category. Generation of these unique DTCs has been widely studied theoretically in different systems. However, no current experimental methods can probe these higher-order and fractional DTCs in any quantum many-body systems.

Highly Efficient Storage of 25-Dimensional Photonic Qudit in a Cold-Atom-Based Quantum Memory.

Building an efficient quantum memory in high-dimensional Hilbert spaces is one of the fundamental requirements for establishing high-dimensional quantum repeaters, where it offers many advantages over two-dimensional quantum systems, such as a larger information capacity and enhanced noise resilience. To date, it remains a challenge to develop an efficient high-dimensional quantum memory. Here, we experimentally realize a quantum memory that is operational in Hilbert spaces of up to 25 dimensions with a storage efficiency of close to 60% and a fidelity of 84.

Telecom-wavelength conversion in a high optical depth cold atomic system.

We experimentally investigate the frequency down-conversion through the four-wave mixing (FWM) process in a cold Rb atomic ensemble, with a diamond-level configuration. An atomic cloud with a high optical depth (OD) of 190 is prepared to achieve a high efficiency frequency conversion. Here, we convert a signal pulse field (795 nm) attenuated to a single-photon level, into a telecom light at 1529.

Optical memory for arbitrary perfect Poincaré states in an atomic ensemble.

Inherent spin angular momentum (SAM) and orbital angular momentum (OAM), which manifest as polarization and spatial degrees of freedom (DOFs) of photons, hold a promise of large capability for applications in classical and quantum information processing. To enable these photonic spin and orbital dynamic properties strongly coupled with each other, Poincaré states have been proposed and offer advantages in data multiplexing, information encryption, precision metrology, and quantum memory. However, since the transverse size of Laguerre-Gaussian beams strongly depends on their topological charge numbers | l |, it is difficult to store asymmetric Poincaré states due to the significantly different light-matter interaction for distinct spatial modes.

Long-Lived Memory for Orbital Angular Momentum Quantum States.

Quantum memories that are capable of storing multiple spatial modes offer advantages in speed and robustness when incorporated into quantum networks. When it comes to spatial degrees of freedom, orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes have received widespread attention since they enable encoding with inherent infinite number of dimensions. Although the faithful storage of OAM qubits or qutrits has been realized in previous works, the achieved lifetimes are still on the order of a few microseconds as limited by the spatially dependent decoherence.

Deep learning enhanced Rydberg multifrequency microwave recognition.

Recognition of multifrequency microwave (MW) electric fields is challenging because of the complex interference of multifrequency fields in practical applications. Rydberg atom-based measurements for multifrequency MW electric fields is promising in MW radar and MW communications. However, Rydberg atoms are sensitive not only to the MW signal but also to noise from atomic collisions and the environment, meaning that solution of the governing Lindblad master equation of light-atom interactions is complicated by the inclusion of noise and high-order terms.

All-optical reversible single-photon isolation at room temperature.

Nonreciprocal devices operating at the single-photon level are fundamental elements for quantum technologies. Because magneto-optical nonreciprocal devices are incompatible for magnetic-sensitive or on-chip quantum information processing, all-optical nonreciprocal isolation is highly desired, but its realization at the quantum level is yet to be accomplished at room temperature. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate two regimes, using electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) or a Raman transition, for all-optical isolation with warm atoms.

Experimental demonstration of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen entanglement in rotating coordinate space.

Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) entanglement involving a pair of particles entangled in their positions and momenta is of special interest in the field of quantum information. Previously, EPR entanglement has been studied in different physical systems but in fixed coordinate spaces. Here, we demonstrate an experiment of ghost imaging and ghost interference in rotated position-momentum spaces by using position-momentum entangled photons generated from a hot atomic ensemble.

Experimental realization of optical storage of vector beams of light in warm atomic vapor.

Vector beams have drawn considerable interest recently because of their unique properties in the transverse plane. Here we experimentally realize optical storage of a vector beam of light in a warm cell. The vector beam is tailored using a Sagnac interferometer containing an internal vortex phase plate, and the light pulse is stored in warm rubidium vapor.

Experimental realization of narrowband four-photon Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state in a single cold atomic ensemble.

Multi-photon entangled states not only play a crucial role in research on quantum physics but also have many applications in quantum information fields such as quantum computation, quantum communication, and quantum metrology. To fully exploit the multi-photon entangled states, it is important to establish the interaction between entangled photons and matter, which requires that photons have narrow bandwidth. Here, we report on the experimental generation of a narrowband four-photon Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state with a fidelity of 64.

Quantum Secure Direct Communication with Quantum Memory.

Quantum communication provides an absolute security advantage, and it has been widely developed over the past 30 years. As an important branch of quantum communication, quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) promotes high security and instantaneousness in communication through directly transmitting messages over a quantum channel. The full implementation of a quantum protocol always requires the ability to control the transfer of a message effectively in the time domain; thus, it is essential to combine QSDC with quantum memory to accomplish the communication task.

Two-color hyper-entangled photon pairs generation in a cold Rb atomic ensemble.

Hyper-entangled photon pairs are very promising in the quantum information field for enhancing the channel capacity in communication and improving compatibility for networks. Here we report on the experimental generation of a hyper-entangled photon pair at a wavelength of 795 nm and 1475 nm via the spontaneous four-wave mixing process in a cold Rb atomic ensemble. The photons in each pair generated are entangled in both the time-frequency and polarization degrees of freedom.

Experimental realization of entanglement in multiple degrees of freedom between two quantum memories.

Entanglement in multiple degrees of freedom has many benefits over entanglement in a single one. The former enables quantum communication with higher channel capacity and more efficient quantum information processing and is compatible with diverse quantum networks. Establishing multi-degree-of-freedom entangled memories is not only vital for high-capacity quantum communication and computing, but also promising for enhanced violations of nonlocality in quantum systems.

Orbital Angular Momentum-Entanglement Frequency Transducer.

Entanglement is a vital resource for realizing many tasks such as teleportation, secure key distribution, metrology, and quantum computations. To effectively build entanglement between different quantum systems and share information between them, a frequency transducer to convert between quantum states of different wavelengths while retaining its quantum features is indispensable. Information encoded in the photon's orbital angular momentum (OAM) degrees of freedom is preferred in harnessing the information-carrying capacity of a single photon because of its unlimited dimensions.

Transcoder for the spatial and temporal modes of a photon.

Encoding information in light with orbital angular momentum (OAM) enables networks to increase channel capacity significantly. However, light in only the fundamental Gaussian mode is suitable for fibre transmission, and not higher order Laguerre Gaussian modes, which carry OAM. Therefore, building a bridge to interface light with OAM and Gaussian mode time-binning is crucially important.

Non-destructive splitter of twisted light based on modes splitting in a ring cavity.

Efficiently discriminating beams carrying different orbital angular momentum (OAM) is of fundamental importance for various applications including high capacity optical communication and quantum information processing. We design and experimentally verify a distinguished method for effectively splitting different OAM-carried beams by introducing Dove prisms in a ring cavity. Because of rotational symmetry broken of two OAM-carried beams with opposite topological charges, their transmission spectra will split.

Orbital angular momentum photonic quantum interface.

Light-carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) has great potential in enhancing the information channel capacity in both classical and quantum optical communications. Long distance optical communication requires the wavelengths of light are situated in the low-loss communication windows, but most quantum memories currently being developed for use in a quantum repeater work at different wavelengths, so a quantum interface to bridge the wavelength gap is necessary. So far, such an interface for OAM-carried light has not been realized yet.

CW-pumped telecom band polarization entangled photon pair generation in a Sagnac interferometer.

Polarization entangled photon pair source is widely used in many quantum information processing applications such as teleportation, quantum communications, quantum computation and high precision quantum metrology. We report on the generation of a continuous-wave pumped 1550 nm polarization entangled photon pair source at telecom wavelength using a type-II periodically poled KTiOPO(4) (PPKTP) crystal in a Sagnac interferometer. Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference measurement yields signal and idler photon bandwidth of 2.

Classical to quantum optical network link for orbital angular momentum-carrying light.

Using orbital angular momentum (OAM) conservation in second-order nonlinear interaction processes, we create a classical to quantum optical network link in the OAM degrees of freedom of light via sum frequency generation, followed by spontaneous parametric down-conversion. Coherent OAM-carrying beams at 1550 nm are up-converted to 525.5-nm OAM-carrying beams in the first crystal, and are used to pump a second crystal to generate non-degenerate OAM entangled photon pairs at 795 nm and 1550 nm.

Optical precursor with four-wave mixing and storage based on a cold-atom ensemble.

We observed optical precursors in four-wave mixing based on a cold-atom gas. Optical precursors appear at the edges of pulses of the generated optical field, and propagate through the atomic medium without absorption. Theoretical analysis suggests that these precursors correspond to high-frequency components of the signal pulse, which means the atoms cannot respond quickly to rapid changes in the electromagnetic field.

Quantum storage of orbital angular momentum entanglement in an atomic ensemble.

Constructing a quantum memory for a photonic entanglement is vital for realizing quantum communication and network. Because of the inherent infinite dimension of orbital angular momentum (OAM), the photon's OAM has the potential for encoding a photon in a high-dimensional space, enabling the realization of high channel capacity communication. Photons entangled in orthogonal polarizations or optical paths had been stored in a different system, but there have been no reports on the storage of a photon pair entangled in OAM space.