Figure 1: Storage of a single photon.
From: Single-photon-level quantum image memory based on cold atomic ensembles
(a) Simplified diagram depicting the generation of non-classical photon correlations using SFWM. MOT: magneto-optical trap. Inset: energy level diagram for SFWM (see Methods). (b) Photon storage diagram. PBS: Glan–Taylor polarization beam splitter with the extinction ratio of 105:1. Inset: energy level diagram for EIT (see Methods). (c) Coincidence counts between the retrieved signal and the trigger as a function of storage time. (d) Cross-correlation function gs1,s2(τ) between the retrieved signal and the trigger photons against the storage time. The solid line is the exponential fit Ae−τ/T+g0 to g(2)s1s2(τ) (where A=13.3, T=348, g0=−1.89). The inset shows the efficiency function against storage time. All data are raw, without noise correction. Error bars represent±one standard deviation and are calculated based on the count statistics of single photons.
