29 August 2019
3 July 2019
13 May 2019
29 October 2018
13 September 2018
6 September 2018
Title of the thesis: “Towards cavity enhanced detection of single ions in the solid-state”
23 August 2018
26 July 2018
25 July 2018
Title of the thesis: “Spin rephasing techniques for long-lived solid-state quantum memories”
8 May 2018
10 April 2018
7 March 2018
2 Feb 2018
22 November 2017
Our paper titled “Photonic quantum state transfer between a cold atomic gas and a crystal” is published in Nature.
23 October 2017
Dr. Kutlu Kutluer has successfully defended his thesis titled “Quantum Memory Protocols for Photonic Solid-State Devices”.
1 October 2017
24 May 2017
Our papers on storing single spin waves in a crystal is featured in Physics.
24 May 2017
We demonstrate a solid-state source of correlated photon pairs with embedded spin-wave quantum memory, using a rare-earth-ion-doped crystal.
24 May 2017
We demonstrate quantum correlations between a telecom photon and a multimode on-demand solid state quantum memory.
24 March 2017
Emanuele Distante has successfully defended his thesis titled “A Quantum Light-Matter Interface with Rydberg Polaritons in a Cold Atomic Ensemble”.
19 January 2017
We demonstrate the storage and retrieval of a paired single photon emitted by an ensemble quantum memory in a strongly nonlinear medium based on highly excited Rydberg atoms.
18 December 2016
We report on a source of heralded narrowband ($\approx 3$ MHz) single photons compatible with solid-state spin-wave quantum memories based on praseodymium doped crystals. The source offers a heralding efficiency of 28% and a generation rate exceeding 2000 pairs mW−1 in a single-mode.The single photon nature of the heralded field is confirmed by a direct antibunching measurement, with a measured antibunching parameter down to 0.010(4). The results presented in this paper offer prospects for the demonstration of single photon spin-wave storage in an on-demand solid state quantum memory, heralded by a telecom photon.
25 November 2016
We report on a heralded single photon source with controllable emission time based on a cold atomic ensemble, which can generate photons with temporal durations varying over three orders of magnitude up to 10 μs without a significant change of the readout efficiency. We prove the nonclassicality of the emitted photons, show that they are emitted in a pure state, and demonstrate that ultra-long photons with nonstandard wave shape can be generated, which are ideally suited for several quantum information tasks.
24 November 2016
Daniel Rieländer has successfully defended his thesis titled “Quantum Light Source Compatible with Solid-State Quantum Memories and Telecom Networks”.
1 October 2016
The group is part of the NanoQTech consortium. NanOQTech is a European Union Horizon 2020 project funded through the FET Open programme.
9 September 2016
We demonstrate non-classical correlation between a frequency-converted telecom C-band photon and a spin-wave stored in an atomic ensemble quantum memory. We show ultra-low-noise operation of the device, enabling a high signal-to-noise ratio for the converted single photon, leading to a high spin-wave heralding efficiency. Our work has been published in Optica.
8 September 2016
We investigate the storage of optical pulses as collective Rydberg atomic excitations in a cold atomic ensemble. By measuring the dynamics of the stored Rydberg polaritons, we experimentally demonstrate that storing a probe pulse as Rydberg polaritons strongly enhances the Rydberg mediated interaction compared to the slow propagation case. Our work has been published in Physical Review Letters.
8 September 2016
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Dario Lago Rivera succesfully defend his Master thesis
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Dario´s thesis was on “Narrowband Photon Pair Source Compatible With Solid State Quantum Memories“. He has graduated with Matrícula de Honor!
Congratulations to him!
18 May 2016
We propose and demonstrate a physical platform for the realization of integrated photonic memories based on laser-written waveguides in rare-earth-doped crystals. Our work has been published in Phys. Rev. Applied as an Editors’ Suggestion.
8 April 2016
We demonstrate a solid-state spin-wave optical memory based on stopped light in a spectral hole. We store and retrieve weak coherent pulses at the subphoton level with an efficiency of 31% and reach signal-to-noise ratio of 33 ± 4, the highest achieved so far for a single-photon-level solid-state spin-wave optical memory. Our work has been published in Phys. Rev. A. as a Rapid Communication.
23 December 2015
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Quantum Memories in Physics Today
APS’ specialized magazine dedicates a piece on Quantum Memories and their importance in the world of quantum information networks.
01 December 2015
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Boris Albrecht successfully defended his PhD Thesis
Boris Albrecht has successfully defended his thesis titled “Quantum control of single spin excitations in cold atomic quantum memories”.
22 October 2015
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The First Ph.D. Graduate from QPSA
The first PhD student of our group, Mustafa Gündoğan has successfully defended his thesis titled “Solid-State Quantum Memory for Photonic Qubits”.
12 October 2015
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Controlled Rephasing of Single Collective Spin Excitations in a Cold Atomic Quantum Memory paper is published in PRL
Our paper “Controlled Rephasing of Single Collective Spin Excitations in a Cold Atomic Quantum Memory” has been published in PRL. We show that the control of the inhomogeneous dephasing enables the creation of time-separated spin waves in a single ensemble followed by a selective read-out in time.
12 June 2015
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Solid State Spin-Wave Quantum Memory for Time-Bin Qubits paper is published in PRL
Our paper “Solid state spin-wave quantum memory for time-bin qubits” has been published in PRL. We report the first demonstration of a quantum memory for time-bin qubits, with on demand read-out of the stored quantum information.
1 June 2014
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Dr. Andreas Lenhard and Maria Auxiliadora Padron Brito joined our group
Dr. Andreas Lenhard joins our group as a postdoctoral researcher. Andreas got his PhD in Physics, Universitaet des Saarlandes, Saarbruecken and worked on quantum frequency conversion of single photons and entangled photon pairs. He will work on projects related to quantum light source in our group.
Ms. Auxiliadora Padron recently earned her MSc in Astrophysics from the University of La Laguna (ULL), Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Last summer, she took part in the 2014 Summer Fellows Program, working on the project entitled ‘Towards Quantum Nonlinear Optics with cold Rydberg atoms’ in the Quantum Photonics with Solids and Atoms group led by ICREA Professor at ICFO Hugues de Riedmatten. Auxiliadora now returns to ICFO as a PhD student in the same group to study Quantum nonlinear optics with Rydberg polaritons.
11 November 2014
Storage of up-converted telecom photons in a doped crystal
Our paper on storage of telecom photons in a 
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crystal has been published in New Journal of Physics.
17 September 2014
Pau Farrera Awarded Max Planck-Prince of Asturias Award Mobility Grants
Pau Farrera and two other PhD students in ICFO have recently been granted the “Max Planck Prince of Asturias Award Mobility Grant” in order to support his research and scientific accomplishments.
12 September 2014
Dr. David Paredes and Alessandro Seri joined our group
Dr. David Paredes joins our group as a postdoctoral researcher. David first came to ICFO as a Summer Fellow in 2010 in the group led by Prof. Morgan Mitchell. Now, having completed his PhD in Atomic and Molecular Physics at the Durham University (UK), he will work on projects related to Quantum Optics with single collective Rydberg excitations in cold atoms in the Quantum photonics with solids and atoms group.
Alessandro Seri joins our research group as a PhD student. After completing his Master in Physics from the University of Camerino (Italy), he joins the group to work in a doctoral thesis centered on solid state quantum memories based on rare-earth doped crystals.
01 May 2014
Dr. Georg Heinze joined our group
Dr. Georg Heinze joins our group as a postdoctoral researcher. Georg got his Ph.D. degree in Physics from Technical University of Darmstadt, Institute of Applied Physics (DE). With his work on Coherent optical data storage by EIT in a : crystal crystal, he holds the longest light-storage time reported in any system to date. In our group, he will work on projects related to Quantum Optics with Cold Atomic Ensembles.
27 February 2014
Quantum Frequency Conversion for Quantum Memories published in Nature Communications
Our group reports on the first demonstration of an ultralow noise solid state integrated photonic quantum interface capable of connecting long lived quantum memories, based on atomic ensembles, to the telecom optical fiber network. The scientific results of this study have been published in Nature Communications.
31 January 2014
Quantum Storage of Heralded Single Photons paper published in PRL
Our paper “Quantum Storage of Heralded Single Photons in a Praseodymium doped crystal” has been published in PRL. We report the first demonstration of quantum light storage in this material which has shown exceptional properties for storage of classical light pulses.
26 August 2013
Quantum frequency conversion of quantum memory compatible photons to telecommunication wavelengths
Our paper reports an experiment demonstrating quantum frequency conversion of weak light pulses compatible with atomic quantum memories to telecommunication wavelengths has been published in Optics Express.
22 July 2013
Hugues de Riedmatten offers perspective on a long-term memory of light
Hugues de Riedmatten was invited to comment on the recent publication in Physical Review Letters by Georg Heinze, Christian Hubrich, and Thomas Halfmann entitled ‘Stopped Light and Image Storage by Electromagnetically Induced Transparency up to the Regime of One Minute’.
28 May 2013
A Photon Pair Source for Quantum Repeaters
Our paper “Ultranarrowband Photon Pair Source compatible with Solid State Quantum Memories and Telecommunication Networks” has been published in Physical Review Letters. It was selected as Editors´suggestion and there is an accompanying Viewpoint in Physics, written by Philip Hemmer.
19 April 2013
Coherent Storage of Temporally Multimode Light
Our paper “Coherent storage of temporally multimode light using a spin-wave atomic frequency comb memory” has been published in NJP, in the special “Quantum memory” focus.
03 November 2012
Kutlu Kutluer joins the group as PhD student
Mr. Kutlu Kutluer holds a BSc in Physics and a MSc in Micro and Nanotechnology from the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey. He joins the group as part of the ITN Marie Curie project CIPRIS. He will work on the implementation of solid state quantum memories for single photons using rare-earth doped crystals.
Welcome Kutlu!
12 September 2012
Marcel.li Grimau and Xavier Fernandez succesfully defend their Master thesis
Marcel.li´s thesis was on : ” Laser frequency stabilization to excited Rydberg transitions using electromagnetically induced transparency“
Xavier´s thesis was on : ” Characterization of a quantum frequency converter for quantum repeater applications“
Congratulations to both !
10 May 2012
Solid state quantum light matter interface for polarization qubits
Our first experimental paper made at ICFO has been published in Physical Review Letter. We demonstrate for the first time a solid state quantum light matter interface for polarization qubits. The work has been highlighted in Physics, as well as in Physics World.
01 March 2012
Dr. Margherita Mazzera joins the group as research fellow
Dr. Margherita Mazzera received a PhD in Physics from the University of Parma, Italy, for her work on the optical properties of rare-earth doped solids. She was then a postdoctoral doctoral researcher at the same institution. In 2011, she obtained a prestigious Beatriu de Pinos postdoctoral fellowship with which she now joins the group as a research fellow. She will work on different aspects of quantum optics with rare-earth doped solids.
Welcome Margherita!
01 January 2012
Our group is a part of the ITN project CIPRIS
The QPSA group is part of the European ITN project CIPRIS, which stands for Coherent Information Processing with Rare-earth Ion doped Solids. The networks includes the group of Nicolas Gisin/Mikael Afezlius in Geneva, Jean-Louis le Goüet/Thierry Chanelière in Orsay, Philippe Goldner in Paris, Stefan Kröll in Lund, Thomas Halfmann in Darmstadt, Dieter Suter in Germany and Mauro Tonelli in Pisa, as well as the company QuTools. The goal of the project is to expoit coherence properties in rare-earth doped solids to implement classical and quantum information processing.
01 October 2011
Daniel Rieländer and Emanuele Distante join the group as PhD students
Daniel Rieländer holds a BSc and MSc in Physics from the technical University of Darmstadt in Germany. He joins the group as PhD student. He will work on the implementation of quantum light sources compatible with solid state quantum memories.
Emanuele Distante holds a BSc and MSc in Physics from the University of Milan in Italy. He did his Master thesis at the Technical University of Denmark. He joins the group as PhD student. He will work on a new project towards quantum information processing with cold Rydberg atoms.
Welcome Daniel and Emanuele!
01 September 2011
Our group is a part of the European QSCALE project
QPSA is a part of QScale, a European research project, funded by the CHIST-ERA coordination. The project is devoted to the development of advanced quantum communication technologies, specifically of quantum repeater architectures, which represent a major and timely challenge for the field of quantum information science and technology. The consortium includes the teams of Julien Laurat (University of Paris VI), Jürgen Eschner (University of Saarbrucken), Marco Bellini (LENS), Nicolas Sangouard (University of Geneva) and the company Quanta Systems. More info can be found on the project website.
15 July 2011
Dr. Patrick Ledingham joins the group as postdoctoral researcher
Dr. Patrick Ledingham holds a BSc in Physics from the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. He then completed a PhD thesis in the same institution. He joins the group as a post-doctoral researcher. He will work on the implementation of solid state quantum memories for single photons using rare-earth doped crystals.
Welcome Patrick!
08 June 2011
ERC Starting Grant
Hugues de Riedmatten has been granted by the European Research Center to pursue his project Ensemble based advanced Quantum Light Matter Interfaces. The goal of the project is to develop a new generation of photonic quantum memories with enhanced storage properties and embedded quantum processing capabilities. Two physical systems will be investigated in the project: laser cooled Rubidium atoms and solid state atomic ensembles based on rare-earth doped solids. The memories will then be used to explore new avenues in the quantum control of matter-matter entanglement.
31 May 2011
A new MOT at ICFO!
Our MOT setup is working ! We have observed our first cold Rb atoms in a magneto optical trap on May 31st.
It looks like that:
Cold cloud of Rb atoms trapped at the center of crossed cooling laser beam in our magneto optical trap. The glass vacuum cell is manufactured by Precision GlassBlowing.
Champagne !
06 May 2011
Workshop on Quantum Information Processing with Rare-Earth ion doped Solids
The group has organized a workshop on Quantum Information Processing with Rare-Earth doped Solids 2011, (QIPREDS2011) which took place in Barcelona on May 12-13 2011. This was the 6th edition of this informal and invitational workshop, which started in Geneva in 2006, with following editions in Paris in 2007, Darmstadt in 2008, Lund in 2009 and Paris again in 2010.
The goal of the workshop is to regroup the main European groups working in the field (as well as some overseas guests) , in order to discuss on going work, new ideas, experimental challenges and potential solutions. For more informations, see the workshop website. The workshop was organized by ICFO and supported by ICFO and the european project QuREP (Quantum Repeaters for long didtance fiber based quantum communication).
01 May 2011
Dr. Júlia Fekete joins the group as postoctoral researcher
Júlia Fekete holds a MSc and PhD in Physics from the Eötvös Loránd University of Sciences (ELUS) in Budapest, Hungary. She was then research fellow at the Research Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Department of Laser Applications. She now joins the group as postdoctoral researcher. She will work on the implementation of a quantum light source compatible with solid-state quantum memories.
Welcome Júlia!
21 March 2011
Review paper on Quantum Repeaters with Atomic Ensembles
Our review paper on Quantum Repeater with Atomic Ensembles and Linear Optics has been published in Review of Modern Physics.
12 January 2011
Entangled photon stored in a solid
Our recent experiment done at the University of Geneva, reporting the storage of an entanglement photon into a doped crystal has been published in Nature ( C. Clausen, I. Usmani et al, Nature 469, 508 (2011) ). The paper has been highlighed in a News&Views article by Dr. Jevon Longdell.
03 January 2011
Dr. Matteo Cristiani joins the group as senior research fellow
Matteo Cristiani did his Ph.D. at the University of Pisa with Prof Ennio Arimondo, working with Bose-Einstein condensates in optical latices. He then worked with Prof Jurgen Eschner at ICFO, implementing a cavity QED experiment with cold Yb atoms in a high finesse cavity. He joins the group as a senior research fellow.
Welcome Matteo!
02 November 2010
Boris Albrecht joins the group as PhD student
Boris Albrecht studied Physics and Photonics at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Strasbourg, France, and holds a MSc in nanophotonics from the University of Strasbourg. He joins the group a sPhD student He will work on light matter quantum interfaces between single photons and single collective spin excitations in laser cooled atomic ensembles.
Welcome Boris!
15 October 2010
Attaallah Almasi Joins the group as Master student
Attaallah Almasi holds a Bachelor of Science in Atomic Physics from the Tarbiat moallem University (TMU), Tehran, IRAN, and is currently enroled in the Master of Photonics from the Polytechnic University of Catalunya, Spain. He will do his Master’s thesis in the solid state quantum memory project.
Welcome Ata!
22 September 2010
Giacomo Corrielli joins the group as Master student
Giacomo Corrielli studied Physics Engineering at Politecnico di Milano, Italy. He joins the group as a Master student. He will work on quantum frequency down conversion of single photons compatible with quantum memories.
Welcome Giacomo!
13 September 2010
Mustafa Gundogan joins the group as PhD student
Mustafa Gündoğan holds a BSc in Physics from Bilkent University in Ankara, and a MSc in Physics from the University of Koç in Istanbul, Turkey. He joins the group as a PhD student. He will work on the implementation of solid state quantum memories for single photons using rare-earth doped crystals.
Welcome Mustafa!
01 September 2010
The Birth of QPSA!
The Quantum Photonics with Solid and Atoms group is now officialy alive!