Tue October 14, 2014 4:00 pm
Entanglement as a resource for a cavity-based quantum interface
Location:Jefferson-250
Dr. Tracy Northup,
University of Innsbruck
Entanglement can enhance the coherent interaction of light and matter at a quantum interface, enabling information transfer within future quantum networks. Here, our interface consists of calcium ions trapped within an optical cavity. First, I will describe how we transfer a quantum bit of information from a single ion onto a photon. Next, we replace the ion by two ions in a maximally entangled state, in which a logical quantum bit is encoded. The phase of the entangled state determines the collective interaction of the ions with the cavity mode, that is, whether the emission of a single photon into the cavity is suppressed or enhanced. The latter case corresponds to a superradiant state of the ion-cavity system, for which we demonstrate that quantum information transfer onto a single photon is improved. By constructing an interface based on collective effects, one can thus relax the technical requirements for the faithful mapping of quantum information.