Single-Photon Interference due to Motion in an Atomic Collective Excitation

D. J. Whiting, N. Šibalić, J. Keaveney, C. S. Adams, I. G. Hughes
2017 Physical Review Letters  
We experimentally demonstrate the generation of heralded bi-chromatic single photons from an atomic collective spin excitation (CSE). The photon arrival times display collective quantum beats, a novel interference effect resulting from the relative motion of atoms in the CSE. A combination of velocity-selective excitation with strong laser dressing and the addition of a magnetic field allows for exquisite control of this collective beat phenomenon. The present experiment uses a diamond scheme
more » ... th near-IR photons that can be extended to include telecommunications-wavelengths or modified to allow storage and retrieval in an inverted-Y scheme.
doi:10.1103/physrevlett.118.253601 pmid:28696754 fatcat:djdb4r3lzvb4jld2y2yd55pgte