Abstract
We present a universal physical picture for describing storage and retrieval of photon wave packets in a -type atomic medium. This physical picture encompasses a variety of different approaches to pulse storage ranging from adiabatic reduction of the photon group velocity and pulse-propagation control via off-resonant Raman fields to photon-echo-based techniques. Furthermore, we derive an optimal control strategy for storage and retrieval of a photon wave packet of any given shape. All these approaches, when optimized, yield identical maximum efficiencies, which only depend on the optical depth of the medium.
- Received 6 April 2006
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.123601
©2007 American Physical Society