title: Interfacing collective atomic excitations and single photons.
abstract: We study the performance and limitations of a coherent interface between collective atomic states and single photons. A quantized spin-wave excitation of an atomic sample inside an optical resonator is prepared probabilistically, stored, and adiabatically converted on demand into a sub-Poissonian photonic excitation of the resonator mode. The measured peak single-quantum conversion efficiency of chi=0.84(11) and its dependence on various parameters are well described by a simple model of the mode geometry and multilevel atomic structure, pointing the way towards implementing high-performance stationary single-photon sources.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Haruka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanji
authors.forename: James K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Vladan
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vuletić