Squeezed light from an oscillator measured at the rate of oscillation.

Sufficiently fast continuous measurements of the position of an oscillator approach measurements projective on position eigenstates. We evidence the transition into the projective regime for a spin oscillator within an ensemble of 2 × 1010 room-temperature atoms by observing correlations between the quadratures of the meter light field. These correlations squeeze the fluctuations of one light quadrature below the vacuum level. When the measurement is slower than the oscillation, we generate 11 . 5 - 1.5 + 2.5 dB and detect 8 . 5 - 0.1 + 0.1 dB of squeezing in a tunable band that is a fraction of the resonance frequency. When the measurement is as fast as the oscillation, we detect 4.7 dB of squeezing that spans more than one decade of frequencies below the resonance. Our results demonstrate a new regime of continuous quantum measurements on material oscillators, and set a new benchmark for the performance of a linear quantum sensor.

Acoustic frequency atomic spin oscillator in the quantum regime.

Quantum noise reduction and entanglement-enhanced sensing in the acoustic frequency range is an outstanding challenge relevant for a number of applications including magnetometry and broadband noise reduction in gravitational wave detectors. Here we experimentally demonstrate quantum behavior of a macroscopic atomic spin oscillator in the acoustic frequency range. Quantum back-action of the spin measurement, ponderomotive squeezing of light, and virtual spring softening are observed at oscillation frequencies down to the sub-kHz range. Quantum noise sources characteristic of spin oscillators operating in the near-DC frequency range are identified and means for their mitigation are presented.

Prediction-Retrodiction Measurements for Teleportation and Conditional State Transfer.

Regular measurements allow predicting the future and retrodicting the past of quantum systems. Time-nonlocal measurements can leave the future and the past uncertain, yet establish a relation between them. We show that continuous time-nonlocal measurements can be used to transfer a quantum state via teleportation or direct transmission. Considering two oscillators probed by traveling fields, we analytically identify strategies for performing the state transfer perfectly across a wide range of linear oscillator-field interactions beyond the pure beam-splitter and two-mode-squeezing types.

Photon propagation through dissipative Rydberg media at large input rates.

We study the dissipative propagation of quantized light in interacting Rydberg media under the conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency. Rydberg blockade physics in optically dense atomic media leads to strong dissipative interactions between single photons. The regime of high incoming photon flux constitutes a challenging many-body dissipative problem. We experimentally study in detail the pulse shapes and the second-order correlation function of the outgoing field and compare our data with simulations based on two novel theoretical approaches well-suited to treat this many-photon limit. At low incoming flux, we report good agreement between both theories and the experiment. For higher input flux, the intensity of the outgoing light is lower than that obtained from theoretical predictions. We explain this discrepancy using a simple phenomenological model taking into account pollutants, which are nearly stationary Rydberg excitations coming from the reabsorption of scattered probe photons. At high incoming photon rates, the blockade physics results in unconventional shapes of measured correlation functions.

Microwave-to-optical transduction using a mechanical supermode for coupling piezoelectric and optomechanical resonators.

The successes of superconducting quantum circuits at local manipulation of quantum information and photonics technology at long-distance transmission of the same have spurred interest in the development of quantum transducers for efficient, low-noise, and bidirectional frequency conversion of photons between the microwave and optical domains. We propose to realize such functionality through the coupling of electrical, piezoelectric, and optomechanical resonators. The coupling of the mechanical subsystems enables formation of a resonant mechanical supermode that provides a mechanically-mediated, efficient single interface to both the microwave and optical domains. The conversion process is analyzed by applying an equivalent circuit model that relates device-level parameters to overall figures of merit for conversion efficiency η and added noise N. These can be further enhanced by proper impedance matching of the transducer to an input microwave transmission line. The performance of potential transducers is assessed through finite-element simulations, with a focus on geometries in GaAs, followed by considerations of the AlN, LiNbO3, and AlN-on-Si platforms. We present strategies for maximizing η and minimizing N, and find that simultaneously achieving η > 50 % and N < 0.5 should be possible with current technology. We find that the use of a mechanical supermode for mediating transduction is a key enabler for high-efficiency operation, particularly when paired with an appropriate microwave impedance matching network. Our comprehensive analysis of the full transduction chain enables us to outline a development path for the realization of high-performance quantum transducers that will constitute a valuable resource for quantum information science.

Unconditional Steady-State Entanglement in Macroscopic Hybrid Systems by Coherent Noise Cancellation.

The generation of entanglement between disparate physical objects is a key ingredient in the field of quantum technologies, since they can have different functionalities in a quantum network. Here we propose and analyze a generic approach to steady-state entanglement generation between two oscillators with different temperatures and decoherence properties coupled in cascade to a common unidirectional light field. The scheme is based on a combination of coherent noise cancellation and dynamical cooling techniques for two oscillators with effective masses of opposite signs, such as quasispin and motional degrees of freedom, respectively. The interference effect provided by the cascaded setup can be tuned to implement additional noise cancellation leading to improved entanglement even in the presence of a hot thermal environment. The unconditional entanglement generation is advantageous since it provides a ready-to-use quantum resource. Remarkably, by comparing to the conditional entanglement achievable in the dynamically stable regime, we find our unconditional scheme to deliver a virtually identical performance when operated optimally.

Quantum back-action-evading measurement of motion in a negative mass reference frame.

Quantum mechanics dictates that a continuous measurement of the position of an object imposes a random quantum back-action (QBA) perturbation on its momentum. This randomness translates with time into position uncertainty, thus leading to the well known uncertainty on the measurement of motion. As a consequence of this randomness, and in accordance with the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, the QBA puts a limitation-the so-called standard quantum limit-on the precision of sensing of position, velocity and acceleration. Here we show that QBA on a macroscopic mechanical oscillator can be evaded if the measurement of motion is conducted in the reference frame of an atomic spin oscillator. The collective quantum measurement on this hybrid system of two distant and disparate oscillators is performed with light. The mechanical oscillator is a vibrational 'drum' mode of a millimetre-sized dielectric membrane, and the spin oscillator is an atomic ensemble in a magnetic field. The spin oriented along the field corresponds to an energetically inverted spin population and realizes a negative-effective-mass oscillator, while the opposite orientation corresponds to an oscillator with positive effective mass. The QBA is suppressed by -1.8 decibels in the negative-mass setting and enhanced by 2.4 decibels in the positive-mass case. This hybrid quantum system paves the way to entanglement generation and distant quantum communication between mechanical and spin systems and to sensing of force, motion and gravity beyond the standard quantum limit.

Correlated Photon Dynamics in Dissipative Rydberg Media.

Rydberg blockade physics in optically dense atomic media under the conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) leads to strong dissipative interactions between single photons. We introduce a new approach to analyzing this challenging many-body problem in the limit of a large optical depth per blockade radius. In our approach, we separate the single-polariton EIT physics from Rydberg-Rydberg interactions in a serialized manner while using a hard-sphere model for the latter, thus capturing the dualistic particle-wave nature of light as it manifests itself in dissipative Rydberg-EIT media. Using this approach, we analyze the saturation behavior of the transmission through one-dimensional Rydberg-EIT media in the regime of nonperturbative dissipative interactions relevant to current experiments. Our model is able to capture the many-body dynamics of bright, coherent pulses through these strongly interacting media. We compare our model with available experimental data in this regime and find good agreement. We also analyze a scheme for generating regular trains of single photons from continuous-wave input and derive its scaling behavior in the presence of imperfect single-photon EIT.

High-capacity spatial multimode quantum memories based on atomic ensembles.

We study spatial multimode quantum memories based on light storage in extended ensembles of Λ-type atoms. We show that such quantum light-matter interfaces allow for highly efficient storage of many spatial modes. In particular, forward operating memories possess excellent scaling with the important physical parameters: quadratic scaling with the Fresnel number and even cubic with the optical depth of the atomic ensemble. Thus, the simultaneous use of both the longitudinal and transverse shape of the stored spin wave modes constitutes a valuable and so far overlooked resource for multimode quantum memories.

Water transport by GLUT2 expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes.

The glucose transporter GLUT2 has been shown to also transport water. In the present paper we investigated the relation between sugar and water transport in human GLUT2 expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Sugar transport was determined from uptakes of non-metabolizable glucose analogues, primarily 3-O-methyl-D-glucopyranoside; key experimental results were confirmed using D(+)-glucose. Water transport was derived from changes in oocyte volume monitored at a high resolution (20 pl, 1 s). Expression of GLUT2 induced a sugar permeability, P(S), of about 5 x 10(-6) cm s(-1) and a passive water permeability, L(p), of 5.5 x 10(-5) cm s(-1). Accordingly, the passive water permeability of a GLUT2 protein is about 10 times higher than its sugar permeability. Both permeabilities were abolished by phloretin. Isosmotic addition of sugar to the bathing solution (replacing mannitol) induced two parallel components of water influx in GLUT2, one by osmosis and one by cotransport. The osmotic driving force arose from sugar accumulation at the intracellular side of the membrane and was given by an intracellular diffusion coefficient for sugar of 10(-6) cm(2) s(-1), one-fifth of the free solution value. The diffusion coefficient was determined in oocytes coexpressing GLUT2 and the water channel AQP1 where water transport was predominantly osmotic. By the cotransport mechanism about 35 water molecules were transported for each sugar molecule by a mechanism within the GLUT2. These water molecules could be transported uphill, against an osmotic gradient, energized by the flux of sugar. This capacity for cotransport is 10 times smaller than that of the Na(+)-coupled glucose transporters (SGLT1). The physiological role of GLUT2 for intestinal transport under conditions of high luminal sugar concentrations is discussed.

Water transport by Na+-coupled cotransporters of glucose (SGLT1) and of iodide (NIS). The dependence of substrate size studied at high resolution.

The relation between substrate and water transport was studied in Na+-coupled cotransporters of glucose (SGLT1) and of iodide (NIS) expressed in Xenopus oocytes. The water transport was monitored from changes in oocyte volume at a resolution of 20 pl, more than one order of magnitude better than previous investigations. The rate of cotransport was monitored as the clamp current obtained from two-electrode voltage clamp. The high resolution data demonstrated a fixed ratio between the turn-over of the cotransporter and the rate of water transport. This applied to experiments in which the rate of cotransport was changed by isosmotic application of substrate, by rapid changes in clamp voltage, or by poisoning. Transport of larger substrates gave rise to less water transport. For the rabbit SGLT1, 378+/-20 (n=18 oocytes) water molecules were cotransported along with the 2 Na+ ions and the glucose-analogue alpha-MDG (MW 194); using the larger sugar arbutin (MW 272) this number was reduced by a factor of at least 0.86+/-0.03 (15). For the human SGLT1 the respective numbers were 234+/-12 (18) and 0.85+/-0.8 (7). For NIS, 253+/-16 (12) water molecules were cotransported for each 2 Na+ and 1 thiocyanate (SCN-, MW 58), with I- as anion (MW 127) only 162+/-11 (19) water molecules were cotransported. The effect of substrate size suggests a molecular mechanism for water cotransport and is opposite to what would be expected from unstirred layer effects. Data were analysed by a model which combined cotransport and osmosis at the membrane with diffusion in the cytoplasm. The combination of high resolution measurements and precise modelling showed that water transport across the membrane can be explained by cotransport of water in the membrane proteins and that intracellular unstirred layers effects are minute.

Mobility of ions, sugar, and water in the cytoplasm of Xenopus oocytes expressing Na(+)-coupled sugar transporters (SGLT1).

A model was set up to study water transport in membrane proteins expressed in Xenopus oocytes. The model was tested experimentally using human and rabbit Na+-glucose cotransporters (SGLT1), and was used to explain controversies regarding unstirred layer effects. Cotransport of Na+, sugar and water was monitored by two-electrode voltage clamp and online measurements of oocyte volume. The specific resistance of the oocyte cytoplasm was found by means of microelectrodes to be 263 +/- 91 Omega cm (S.D., n = 52), or 2.5 times that of Kulori medium, in agreement with reported values of intracellular ion concentrations and diffusion constants. Osmotically induced volume and resistance changes were compatible with a model of the oocyte in which 37 +/- 17 % (S.D., n = 66) of the intracellular volume acts as a free solution while the remainder is inert, being occupied by organelles, etc. The model explains the results of several types of experiments: rapid changes in rates of water cotransport induced by changes in clamp voltage followed by osmotic equilibration in sugar-free conditions; volume changes induced by Na+ transport via the ionophore gramicidin; and uphill water transport. Ethanol (0.5 %) induced a marked swelling of the oocytes of about 16 pl x s(-1). If the specific inhibitor of SGLT1 phlorizin is added from stock solutions in ethanol, the effect of ethanol obfuscates the effects of the inhibitor. We conclude that the transport parameters derived for water cotransport by the SGLT1 can be attributed to the protein residing in the plasma membrane with no significant influences from unstirred layer effects.