Fast, low-loss, all-optical phase modulation in warm rubidium vapour

William O.C. Davis, Paul Burdekin, Tabijah Wasawo, Sarah E. Thomas, Peter Mosley, Joshua Nunn, Cameron McGarry

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Low-loss high-speed switches are an integral component of future photonic quantum technologies, with applications in state generation, multiplexing, and the implementation of quantum gates. Phase modulation is one method of achieving this switching; however, existing optical phase modulators offer either high bandwidth or low loss—not both. We demonstrate fast (100 MHz bandwidth), low-loss (83(2) % transmission) phase shifting (Δϕ = (0.90(5))π in a signal field, induced by a control field, and mediated by the two-photon Formula presented. transition in 87Rb vapour. The all-optical nature of the scheme circumvents restrictions of electronic phase modulators, where bandwidth and repetition rate can be limited by the requirement to rapidly modulate high voltages. We discuss routes to enhance both performance and scalability for application to a range of quantum and classical technologies.

Original languageEnglish
Article number025001
JournalQuantum Science and Technology
Volume10
Issue number2
Early online date9 Jan 2025
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 9 Jan 2025

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are openly available at the following URL/DOI: https://doi.org/10.15125/BATH-01472.

Acknowledgements

We thank Susannah Smith for valuable assistance in proofreading this manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by the UK Hub in Quantum Computing and Simulation, part of the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme with funding from UKRI EPSRC Grant EP/T001062/1. This work is partially funded by Innovate UK Quantum Data Centre of the Future Grant 10004793.

FundersFunder number
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

Keywords

  • phase modulation
  • photonic quantum computing
  • quantum optics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
  • Materials Science (miscellaneous)
  • Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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