Quantum coherence in quantum optics is an essential part of optical information processing and light manipulation.Alkali metal vapors,despite the numerous shortcomings,are traditionally used in quantum optics as a wor...Quantum coherence in quantum optics is an essential part of optical information processing and light manipulation.Alkali metal vapors,despite the numerous shortcomings,are traditionally used in quantum optics as a working medium due to convenient near-infrared excitation,strong dipole transitions and long-lived coherence.Here,we proposed and experimentally demonstrated photon retention and subsequent re-emittance with the quantum coherence in a system of coherently excited molecular nitrogen ions(N_(2)^(+))which are produced using a strong 800 nm femtosecond laser pulse.Such photon retention,facilitated by quantum coherence,keeps releasing directly-unmeasurable coherent photons for tens of picoseconds,but is able to be read out by a time-delayed femtosecond pulse centered at 1580 nm via two-photon resonant absorption,resulting in a strong radiation at 329.3 nm.We reveal a pivotal role of the excited-state population to transmit such extremely weak re-emitted photons in this system.This new finding unveils the nature of the coherent quantum control in N_(2)^(+)for the potential platform for optical information storage in the remote atmosphere,and facilitates further exploration of fundamental interactions in the quantum optical platform with strong-field ionized molecules.展开更多
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11822410,12034013,11734009,and 11974245)the National Key R&D Program of China(2017YFA0303701 and 2019YFA0705000)+10 种基金the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Major Project(2019SHZDZX01)the Program of Shanghai Academic Research Leader(20XD1424200)the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai(19ZR1475700)the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDB16030300)the Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences of Chinese Academy of Sciences(QYZDJ-SSW-SLH010)the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of Chinese Academy of Sciences(2018284)NSF(ECCS-1509268,and CMMI-1826078)AFOSR(FA9550-20-1-0366)partially supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universitiesthe support from the Program for Professor of Special Appointment(Eastern Scholar)at Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learningthe support from Shandong Quancheng Scholarship(00242019024)。
文摘Quantum coherence in quantum optics is an essential part of optical information processing and light manipulation.Alkali metal vapors,despite the numerous shortcomings,are traditionally used in quantum optics as a working medium due to convenient near-infrared excitation,strong dipole transitions and long-lived coherence.Here,we proposed and experimentally demonstrated photon retention and subsequent re-emittance with the quantum coherence in a system of coherently excited molecular nitrogen ions(N_(2)^(+))which are produced using a strong 800 nm femtosecond laser pulse.Such photon retention,facilitated by quantum coherence,keeps releasing directly-unmeasurable coherent photons for tens of picoseconds,but is able to be read out by a time-delayed femtosecond pulse centered at 1580 nm via two-photon resonant absorption,resulting in a strong radiation at 329.3 nm.We reveal a pivotal role of the excited-state population to transmit such extremely weak re-emitted photons in this system.This new finding unveils the nature of the coherent quantum control in N_(2)^(+)for the potential platform for optical information storage in the remote atmosphere,and facilitates further exploration of fundamental interactions in the quantum optical platform with strong-field ionized molecules.
