Diffusion-free image storage in hot atomic vapor

Abstract

The ability to directly store optical images in atomic vapor has many potential applications, but the diffusion of atoms severely limits the image resolution and storage duration. In this paper, we report an experimental demonstration on diffusion-free storage of optical images in hot atomic vapor. By encoding two-dimensional images in incoherent light and making use of the correlation imaging technique, we overcome the effect of atomic diffusion on the all-optical image storage in atomic vapor.

Angular dependence of spatial frequency modulation in diffusion media

“…This is a defect that degrades the image's quality when it is manipulated with the slow and storage light techniques in the hot vapor cell. To date, the conventional approaches to solve these problems are mostly based on modulating the wavefront of the optical image [6][7][8]25]. For instance, loading an appropriate phase to the image according to the optical phase-shift lithography principle [6,8], storing the Fourier transform of the image [7], or encoding images into thermal light and adopting the correlation imaging technique [25] could all alleviate the influence of atomic diffusion on the quality of retrieved images.…”

Synchronized resistance of inhomogeneous magnetically induced dephasing of an image stored in a cold atomic ensemble

“…Since the pioneering work of Pugatch 29 proved that optical modes with phase singularities are robust to strong diffusion of hot atoms in an atomic vapor, many elaborate schemes have been proposed to store transverse multimodes for a long time 30 . Techniques such as utilizing the diffraction property of lenses 31,32 , employing coupling light with a tailored transverse phase analogous to phase-shift lithography 33 or making use of the ghost imaging technique 34 have been used to realize image storage up to tens of microseconds. However, when we consider transverse multimode storage in a cold atomic ensemble, the dominant deteriorating effect originating from atomic motion considered in previous works can be neglected during short storage time on the scale of microseconds; therefore, exploring other dephasing mechanism in storing transverse multimodes becomes significantly important.…”

Image routing via atomic spin coherence

“…Further applications require the storage of two-dimension image with large information intensity. Recently, some processes related to image storages based on EIT effect have been experimentally performed 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 . The slowing and storage of image has been obtained in EIT-driven experimental mediums 11 12 13 .…”

“…The slowing and storage of image has been obtained in EIT-driven experimental mediums 11 12 13 . The storage and retrieval of the image carried by thermal light have been reported in atomic gases 14 15 . The storage of light beams carrying orbital angular momentum has been demonstrated experimentally 16 17 18 .…”