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Reversible storage and manipulation of light pulses with orbital angular momentum

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Abstract

We propose a scheme to realize the storage and retrieval of high-dimensional signal field with orbital angular momentum (OAM) in a double-\(\Lambda \) system of cold atoms. By employing two counter-propagating controlling fields, we show that the system exists two shape-preserving dark-state polaritons, which propagate in the opposite direction. We demonstrate that stationary light pulses with OAMs can be generated when both the controlling fields are switched on for retrieving the stored signal field from the atomic spin coherence, and the signal fields with OAMs can be manipulated coherently and all-optically through the active operation of the controlling fields in direction and time. The proposed scheme can easily be extended to the reversible storage and manipulation of multiple signal fields with OAMs. Our work is promising for practical application of information processing with large capacity.

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Acknowledgements

This work is subsidized by National Natural Science Foundation of China, Project Nos. 11604174, 61772295 and 11547035 and the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, Project Nos. ZR2014AP006 and ZR2016FB09.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Quantum Physics Laboratory, School of Science, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, 266033, China

    Tianhui Qiu & Hongyang Ma

  2. Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies Engineering Laboratory of Shandong, College of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266061, China

    Hui Li

  3. College of Physics and Communication Electronics, and Center for Quantum Science and Technology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China

    Min Xie

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  1. Tianhui Qiu
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Correspondence to Tianhui Qiu or Min Xie.

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Qiu, T., Li, H., Xie, M. et al. Reversible storage and manipulation of light pulses with orbital angular momentum. Quantum Inf Process 19, 52 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11128-019-2544-7

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