Single-Shot Measurements of Phonon Number States Using the Autler-Townes Effect

Efficient and reliable detection of motional states is an essential component of many ion-trap experiments. In this recent work a new technique for measuring both Fock and thermal states, based on the Autler-Townes splitting, is demonstrated. The experimental work has been carried out in the group of Markus Hennrich at Fysikum, and was performed in collaboration with the groups of Celso Villas-Boas and Romain Bachelard in São Carlos, Brazil.

This effect arises in a three-level system in which a weakly-probed transition is split by a strong coupling field to the third level. The technique can be used to provide either single-shot detection or non-demolition measurements of motional Fock states. Although we make use of a single trapped ion, our scheme can also be applied to any similar three-level system with coupling to a single quantum harmonic oscillator.

 

More information

Single-Shot Measurements of Phonon Number States Using the Autler-Townes Effect, Physical Review Letters

Research group Trapped Ion Quantum Technologies, Fysikum

 

Research subject

Condensed Matter and Quantum Optics

Research project

Rapid Control of Quantum Motion with Trapped Rydberg Ions

Quantum information processing is a rapidly developing field of research with a large variety of applications ranging from powerful quantum algorithms to simulations of complex quantum systems.

Research group

Trapped Ion Quantum Technologies

Due to a significant technical progress and precise engineering, we are nowadays able to manipulate individual quantum systems, like single atoms, with a precision that has been unthinkable a few decades ago.

Read more about