title: Universal approach to optimal photon storage in atomic media.
abstract: We present a universal physical picture for describing storage and retrieval of photon wave packets in a Lambda-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.
authors.affiliation: Physics Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Alexey V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Gorshkov
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: André
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fleischhauer
authors.forename: Anders S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.forename: Mikhail D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Lukin