Description du projet
Exploiter les polaritons de Rydberg à lumière lente pour faire progresser la science quantique
Les interactions fortes entre photons sont parfaites pour générer des états non classiques de la lumière et préparer des états quantiques corrélés. De récentes expériences ayant démontré de fortes interactions entre les photons, les polaritons de Rydberg à lumière lente (états atomiques excités se propageant lentement dans un milieu) pourraient permettre d’atteindre cet objectif. Financé par le Conseil européen de la recherche, le projet SIRPOL ambitionne de développer des polaritons de Rydberg à lumière lente pour générer des états quantiques à plusieurs corps qui interagissent fortement en recourant à l’analyse microscopique et à des outils de la physique de la matière condensée. Les activités du projet se concentreront sur la génération d’états non classiques tels que des sources déterministes de photons uniques et des états de chat de Schrödinger, en évaluant leur potentiel dans le domaine de l’information et de la technologie quantiques. Les résultats du projet amélioreront la compréhension de la dissipation d’énergie et de la dynamique de (non-)équilibre dans des systèmes quantiques à plusieurs corps.
Objectif
A fundamental property of optical photons is their extremely weak interactions, which can be ignored for all practical purposes and applications. This phenomena forms the basis for our understanding of light and is at the heart for the rich variety of tools available to manipulate and control optical beams. On the other hand, a controlled and strong interaction between individual photons would be ideal to generate non-classical states of light, prepare correlated quantum states of photons, and harvest quantum mechanics as a new resource for future technology. Rydberg slow light polaritons have recently emerged as a promising candidate towards this goal, and first experiments have demonstrated a strong interaction between individual photons. The aim of this project is to develop and advance the research field of Rydberg slow light polaritons with the ultimate goal to generate strongly interacting quantum many-body states with photons. The theoretical analysis is based on a microscopic description of the Rydberg polaritons in an atomic ensemble, and combines well established tools from condensed matter physics for solving quantum many-body systems, as well as the inclusion of dissipation in this non-equilibrium problem. The goals of the present project addresses questions on the optimal generation of non-classical states of light such as deterministic single photon sources and Schrödinger cat states of photons, as well as assess their potential for application in quantum information and quantum technology. In addition, we will shed light on the role of dissipation in this quantum many-body system, and analyze potential problems and fundamental limitations of Rydberg polaritons, as well as address questions on equilibration and non-equilibrium dynamics. A special focus will be on the generation of quantum many-body states of photons with topological properties, and explore novel applications of photonic states with topological properties.
Champ scientifique
- natural sciencesphysical sciencescondensed matter physics
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesquantum physics
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringcomputer hardwarequantum computers
- natural sciencesphysical sciencestheoretical physicsparticle physicsphotons
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
ERC-COG - Consolidator GrantInstitution d’accueil
70174 Stuttgart
Allemagne