Proposal for a long-lived quantum memory using matter-wave optics with Bose-Einstein condensates in microgravity

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel quantum memory approach using Bose-Einstein condensates in microgravity, aiming to significantly extend storage times by minimizing decoherence effects through optical atom lenses.

Contribution

It introduces a new method leveraging microgravity and optical atom lenses to reduce density-dependent decoherence in Bose-Einstein condensate quantum memories.

Findings

Expected memory lifetime limited only by vacuum quality in ideal conditions

Potential to achieve storage times of minutes in space-based platforms

Unprecedented time-bandwidth products of 10^10 possible

Abstract

Bose-Einstein condensates are a promising platform for optical quantum memories, but suffer from several decoherence mechanisms, leading to short memory lifetimes. While some of these decoherence effects can be mitigated by conventional methods, density dependent atom-atom collisions ultimately set the upper limit of quantum memory lifetime to s-timescales in trapped Bose-Einstein condensates. We propose a new quantum memory technique that utilizes microgravity as a resource to minimize such density-dependent effects. We show that by using optical atom lenses to collimate and refocus the freely expanding atomic ensembles, in an ideal environment, the expected memory lifetime is only limited by the quality of the background vacuum. We anticipate that this method can be experimentally demonstrated in Earth-bound microgravity platforms or space missions, eventually leading to storage times of minutes and unprecedented time-bandwidth products of {$10^{10}$}