Optical Information Processing with Ultraslow Light in Bose-Einstein Condensates

玻色中的超慢光传播爱因斯坦凝聚体（BEC）代表了用冷原子共振光操纵的一个极端例子。PI和她的团队已经观察到，在一个BEC中减慢，停止和熄灭的光脉冲可以从160微米远的不同冷凝物中复活。在这些新能力的基础上，现有的设备将被修改，以便于演示新的方案，用于处理光学信息与捕获的BEC。 具体来说，该装置将成为创建一位和两位条件相位门的基础，这些相位门是量子和光学计算方案的基本构建模块。PI开发的慢光和停止光技术提供了将光编码信息转换为物质形式的独特能力，一旦以物质形式编码，信息就很容易被操纵。这项研究代表了光量子控制的新范式，对量子信息处理具有重要意义，例如可用于安全加密。这项研究还激发了许多人的兴趣和想象力，并在媒体和针对各种受众的活动中得到广泛曝光。这种接触对于吸引年轻人进入科学领域和刺激实际应用的发展非常重要。

Ultraslow light propagation in Bose?Einstein condensates (BECs) represents an extreme example of resonant light manipulation with cold atoms. The PI and her group have observed that a light pulse slowed, stopped, and extinguished in one BEC can be revived from a different condensate, 160 microns away. Building on these new capabilities, the existing apparatus will be modified to facilitate demonstration of novel schemes for processing of optical information with trapped BECs. Specifically, the setup will form the basis for creation of one-bit and two-bit-conditional phase gates which are fundamental building blocks in quantum and optical computation schemes.The slow and stopped light techniques developed by the PI offer a unique capability to transform information encoded in light to matter form, and once in matter form the information is easily manipulated. The research represents a new paradigm in optical quantum control and could have major importance for quantum information processing that can be utilized for example for secure encryption. The research has also spurred the interest and imagination of many and is getting wide exposure in media and at events that target very diverse audiences. Such exposure is important for attracting young people into the sciences, and for stimulating the development of practical applications.