Optical echo memory based on photonic crystal cavities

Abstract

Analogous to Internet, connecting quantum computers together to build a full quantum network will boost the processing capability for quantum information. On-chip quantum memories can carry out essential functionalities in building a quantum network, including synchronizing of a large number of quantum computers and implementing long-distance quantum communication. However, mainly owning to the constraints imposed by the micro-photonic structures themselves, on-chip quantum memories are hinder by a trade-off between their performance and integration. We here propose using spatial-phase-mismatching effect in photonic crystal cavities to build an on-chip quantum memory. This scenario does not only utilize the large orbital angular momentum of photonic crystal cavities to realize photon-echo type memory, but also utilize the light-matter enhancement of a photonic cavity to achieve a high-efficiency quantum storage.