Abstract
The quantum information carried by a two-level atom was transferred to a high- cavity and, after a delay, to another atom. We realized in this way a quantum memory made of a field in a superposition of 0 and 1 photon Fock states. We measured the “holding time” of this memory corresponding to the decay of the field intensity or amplitude at the single photon level. This experiment implements a step essential for quantum information processing operations.
- Received 31 March 1997
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.79.769
©1997 American Physical Society