Roadmap on STIRAP applications

TL;DR

This paper reviews the development and diverse applications of STIRAP, a laser-based quantum state transfer method, highlighting its robustness and expanding use across various fields since its inception in chemical physics.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive roadmap of STIRAP applications, emphasizing its versatility and the evolution of its use beyond chemical dynamics since 2000.

Findings

STIRAP effectively transfers quantum states with minimal spontaneous emission.

Its robustness allows applications across multiple physics disciplines.

The method has expanded significantly since 2000.

Abstract

STIRAP (Stimulated Raman Adiabatic Passage) is a powerful laser-based method, usually involving two photons, for efficient and selective transfer of population between quantum states. A particularly interesting feature is the fact that the coupling between the initial and the final quantum states is via an intermediate state even though the lifetime of the latter can be much shorter than the interaction time with the laser radiation. Nevertheless, spontaneous emission from the intermediate state is prevented by quantum interference. Maintaining the coherence between the initial and final state throughout the transfer process is crucial. STIRAP was initially developed with applications in chemical dynamics in mind. That is why the original paper of 1990 was published in The Journal of Chemical Physics. However, as of about the year 2000, the unique capabilities of STIRAP and its robustness with respect to small variations of some experimental parameters stimulated many researchers to apply the scheme in a variety of other fields of physics. The successes of these efforts are documented in this collection of articles.