Photonic Quantum Control Technologies

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The introduction of quantum mechanics early in the 20th century led to a radical change in our understanding of Nature. While classical physics governs the most familiar elements of the macroscopic world around us, the microscopic behaviour of electrons, atoms, and molecules is the realm of quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanics exhibits a host of unique features - uncertainty, superposition, and entanglement - that have little analogue in the classical world. We now understand that these quantum features can be utilized to develop new Quantum Technologies, impossible to imagine with classical physics. In order to build Quantum Technologies we must develop methods for manipulating these quantum systems. The purpose of this proposal is to investigate the control of quantum systems through the use of laser pulses and then to use these controllable quantum systems to develop new technologies. Essentially all of atomic & molecular physics is governed by electromagnetic fields and we will use this fact to control quantum systems with intense nonresonant laser fields. We will apply control to a photo-reaction in a polyatomic molecule and alter its branching ratio, an important first step in efforts to control larger systems. We will utilize laser control and the unique level structure of molecules to develop optical quantum memories, a photon storage device essential for future quantum communication and computation. We propose to investigate the phonon states of bulk diamond as a `quantum workbench'. This system offers the exciting potential of room-temperature solid-state quantum processing and enables similar control approaches as in molecules. Quantum Technologies all rely on system coherence being maintained. We will study loss of coherence in these systems in an effort to both reduce its effects and to use it as a resource for quantum random number generation, an important part of future communications security.