Special Talk
Broad-tunable microwave-to-optical conversion in a room-temperature atomic vapor
Presented by Benjamin Smith from Lindsay LeBlanc’s group at the University of Alberta. Benjamin is a PhD candidate working on experimental atomic physics and coherent microwave-to-optical conversion based on atomic vapors and microwave cavities for quantum networking.
Many quantum processors—such as superconducting qubits and spin-based atoms/NV centers—operate at microwave frequencies. Distributed networks of these quantum devices require coherent, efficient, and flexible conversion between microwave and optical frequencies.
In this talk, I will explain how we experimentally realize nonlinear frequency conversion from input 6.8 GHz microwave to 384 THz (780 nm) optical signals. This process is mediated by room-temperature rubidium atoms enclosed in a 3D microwave cavity. We demonstrate coherence in this microwave-to-optical conversion and show that the output optical frequency can be flexibly tuned across more than 500 MHz due to thermal Doppler broadening.
This scheme also leads to exciting opportunities in sensing, processing, and nonlinear pulse generation, and manipulation.
11:00 am, Thursday, February 22, 2024
PAIS-2540, PAIS
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