Storage of orbital angular momenta of light via coherent population oscillation

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the storage and retrieval of light's orbital angular momentum (OAM) using coherent population oscillation in cold cesium atoms, enabling multiplexing of OAM states for advanced quantum information processing.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method to store and manipulate OAM states via CPO in cold atoms, including simultaneous storage of multiple OAM modes in different directions.

Findings

Successful storage and retrieval of OAM states in cold cesium atoms.

Demonstration of multiplexing OAM states through spatially separated storage.

Potential applications in quantum information and multiplexing technologies.

Abstract

We report on the storage of Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) of light via the phenomenon of Coherent Population Oscillation (CPO) in cold cesium atoms. The experiment is performed using a delayed four wave mixing configuration where the transverse optical information of a probe field carrying OAM associated with its azimuthal phase dependence is stored in the CPO of Zeeman sublevels of the hyperfine transition $F=3\rightarrow F^{\prime}=2$ of cesium $D_{2}$ line. We also demonstrate experimentally the simultaneous storage and retrieval of different OAM states propagating along different directions in space, leading to algebric operations with OAM and therefore opening the possibility of multiplexing OAM states.