Ultrafast creation of large Schrödinger cat states of an atom
| Autor: | Brian Neyenhuis, J. D. Wong-Campos, Christopher Monroe, Jonathan Mizrahi, K. G. Johnson |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
Quantum decoherence
Science General Physics and Astronomy 02 engineering and technology 01 natural sciences General Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology Article symbols.namesake Superposition principle Quantum mechanics 0103 physical sciences Physics::Atomic Physics 010306 general physics Quantum information science lcsh:Science Quantum Harmonic oscillator Physics Mesoscopic physics Multidisciplinary General Chemistry 021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology Coherent control symbols lcsh:Q 0210 nano-technology Schrödinger's cat |
| Zdroj: | Nature Communications, Vol 8, Iss 1, Pp 1-7 (2017) Nature Communications |
| ISSN: | 2041-1723 |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41467-017-00682-6 |
| Popis: | Mesoscopic quantum superpositions, or Schrödinger cat states, are widely studied for fundamental investigations of quantum measurement and decoherence as well as applications in sensing and quantum information science. The generation and maintenance of such states relies upon a balance between efficient external coherent control of the system and sufficient isolation from the environment. Here we create a variety of cat states of a single trapped atom’s motion in a harmonic oscillator using ultrafast laser pulses. These pulses produce high fidelity impulsive forces that separate the atom into widely separated positions, without restrictions that typically limit the speed of the interaction or the size and complexity of the resulting motional superposition. This allows us to quickly generate and measure cat states larger than previously achieved in a harmonic oscillator, and create complex multi-component superposition states in atoms. Generation of mesoscopic quantum superpositions requires both reliable coherent control and isolation from the environment. Here, the authors succeed in creating a variety of cat states of a single trapped atom, mapping spin superpositions into spatial superpositions using ultrafast laser pulses. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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