Observation of the geometric phase using photon echoes

The geometric phase of an atomic system has been observed in $V$-type three-level barium atoms using photon echoes. The geometric phase results from a cyclic evolution of a two-level subsystem driven by a laser pulse. The phase change is observed on the echo field produced on a different subsystem that is coupled via the ground state to the driven subsystem. The measured geometric phase was half of the solid angle subtended by the Bloch vector along the driven evolution circuit. This evolution has the potential to form universal operations of quantum bits.