Quantum state storage and processing for polarization qubits in an inhomogeneously broadened \Lambda-type three-level medium

TL;DR

This paper explores how polarization qubits propagate in an inhomogeneously broadened three-level medium, proposing applications like filtering, beam splitting, and quantum memory, leveraging controlled broadening and atomic coherence manipulation.

Contribution

It introduces novel methods for polarization qubit filtering, sieving, and quantum memory in a Lambda-type medium using controlled reversible inhomogeneous broadening.

Findings

Demonstrates polarization qubit filtering and sieving capabilities.

Proposes a tunable polarization beam splitter.

Shows implementation of quantum memory with spatially varying atomic coherence.

Abstract

We address the propagation of a single photon pulse with two polarization components, i.e., a polarization qubit, in an inhomogeneously broadened "phaseonium" \Lambda-type three-level medium. We combine some of the non-trivial propagation effects characteristic for this kind of coherently prepared systems and the controlled reversible inhomogeneous broadening technique to propose several quantum information processing applications, such as a protocol for polarization qubit filtering and sieving as well as a tunable polarization beam splitter. Moreover, we show that, by imposing a spatial variation of the atomic coherence phase, an effcient quantum memory for the incident polarization qubit can be also implemented in \Lambda-type three-level systems.