Quantum memories: emerging applications and recent advances

TL;DR

Quantum memories are crucial for photonic quantum technologies, enabling synchronization and advanced applications in quantum computing and optics through recent experimental and theoretical progress.

Contribution

This review highlights recent advances and emerging applications of quantum memories in optical processing, quantum computation, and nonlinear optics.

Findings

Quantum memories enable synchronization of probabilistic quantum events.

Recent experimental demonstrations have improved storage times and fidelity.

Quantum memories are foundational for future photonic quantum technologies.

Abstract

Quantum light-matter interfaces are at the heart of photonic quantum technologies. Quantum memories for photons, where non-classical states of photons are mapped onto stationary matter states and preserved for subsequent retrieval, are technical realizations enabled by exquisite control over interactions between light and matter. The ability of quantum memories to synchronize probabilistic events makes them a key component in quantum repeaters and quantum computation based on linear optics. This critical feature has motivated many groups to dedicate theoretical and experimental research to develop quantum memory devices. In recent years, exciting new applications, and more advanced developments of quantum memories, have proliferated. In this review, we outline some of the emerging applications of quantum memories in optical signal processing, quantum computation, and nonlinear optics. We review recent experimental and theoretical developments, and their impacts on more advanced photonic quantum technologies based on quantum memories.