Abstract
We analyze the nonlinear optical response of a four-level atomic system driven into a tripod configuration. The large cross-Kerr nonlinearities that occur in such a system are shown to produce nonlinear phase shifts of order . Such a substantial shift may be observed in a cold atomic gas in a magneto-optical trap where it could be feasibly exploited towards the realization of a polarization quantum phase gate. The experimental feasibility of such a gate is here examined in detail.
- Received 20 February 2004
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.70.032317
©2004 American Physical Society