Welcome to the home page of Professor Jeff Kimble's quantum optics group at Caltech.

The primary goal of our research is to study the quantum mechanics of open systems. "Real-world" quantum mechanics takes into account the dissipation and decoherence that arise from interactions of a quantum system with its environment. In studying the role of these processes, we learn about what is and might be possible: how we might make, study, and preserve quantum superpositions and other exotic states.

You might also like to visit the web page of the Mabuchi group at Caltech as well as the IQI (Institute for Quantum Information) and the Caltech MURI Center for Quantum Networks.

"Strong Interactions of Single Atoms and Photons near a Dielectric Boundary", D. J. Alton, N. P. Stern, Takao Aoki, H. Lee, E. Ostby, K. J. Vahala & H. J. Kimble, Nature Phys. 7, 159-165 (2011) "Entanglement of spin waves among four quantum memories", K. S. Choi, A. Goban, S. B. Papp, S. J. van Enk & H. J. Kimble, Nature 468, 412-416 (2010) Caltech Press Release. "Cavity Optomechanics with Stoichiometric SiN Films", D. J. Wilson, C. A. Regal, S. B. Papp,  & H. J. Kimble, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 207204 (2009). "Characterization of Multipartite Entanglement for One Photon Shared Among Four Optical Modes", S. B. Papp, K. S. Choi, H. Deng, P. Lougovski, S. J. van Enk & H. J. Kimble, Science 324, 764 (2009) Caltech Press Release. "Quantum State Engineering and Precision Metrology Using State-Insensitive Light Traps", Jun Ye, H. J. Kimble & Hidetoshi Katori, Science 320, 1734-1738 (2008). "The quantum internet" H. J. Kimble, Nature 453, 1023-1030 (2008). "Mapping photonic entanglement into and out of a quantum memory", K. S. Choi, H. Deng, J. Laurat & H. J. Kimble, Nature 452, 67-71(2008) Caltech Press Release "A Photon Turnstile Dynamically Regulated by One Atom", Barak Dayan, A. S. Parkins, Takao Aoki, E. P. Ostby, K. J. Vahala, and H. J. Kimble, Science 319, 1062 (2008). [Without AAAS membership: abstract full text] "Scalable Quantum Networks with Atoms and Photons" -- a tutorial given by H. Jeff Kimble on 7 May 2007, at QELS in Baltimore, MD. (5.8 MB)

	Cavity Quantum Electrodynamics Cavity quantum electrodynamics is one of the few experimentally viable systems in which the intrinsic quantum mechanical coupling dominates losses due to dissipation. We investigate the use of strong coupling to control the simple quantum system of one atom interacting with a single photon in an optical cavity. A recent application of this strongly coupled atom-cavity system has been the experimental realization of a one-atom laser.  Here the macroscopic amplification medium of a conventional laser is replaced by a single cesium atom confined within a high-finesse cavity.  While everyday lasers generate classical (coherent) light, the one-atom laser produces light with interesting quantum mechanical characteristics.
	Quantum Networking with Atomic Ensembles The collective effects of atomic ensembles provide another means to control the light-matter interface. Our interest is to develop the physical resources that enable quantum repeaters, thereby allowing entanglement-based quantum communication tasks over quantum networks on distance scales much larger than set by the attenuation length of optical fibers, including quantum cryptography or quantum teleportation. We are working with ensembles (1, 2 and even 4 now) of cooled cesium atoms in magneto-optical traps.  Nonclassically correlated photon pairs with a programmable delay interval have been first generated and, additionally, used as a source of conditional single photons. We also have demonstrated entanglement between two remote atomic ensembles. Very recently, we performed the implementation of "functional quantum nodes for distribution of entanglement over scalable quantum networks".
	Cavity QED with Microtoroidal Resonators We are working to realize cQED phenomena using toroidal whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) optical microcavities and cesium atoms. Toroidal WGM optical microcavities are chip based resonators which resonantly confine light to small volumes with extremely low losses, giving rise to extremely high quality factors, "Q," and strong coupling, "g," between the resonator and atoms. Toroidal cavities have the potential to surpass their Fabry-Perot counterparts due to their ultra-high Q, reduced mode volume, and ease of manufacture and control. In addition, the "on-chip" design and optical fiber coupling scheme could potentially allow integration into a quantum network. In collaboration with the Vahala research group in the Applied Physics department at Caltech, our initial goal is to demonstrate coupling between a cesium atom and a microtoroidal resonator.
	Previous Research Quantum interference and frequency metrology, squeezed light, and more...

We would like to acknowledge the support of the following funding agencies: National Science Foundation, Caltech MURI on Quantum Networks (administered by the Army Research Office), Office of Naval Research, DARPA (through the ARO), and Advanced Research and Development Activity (ARDA).

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Comments and suggestions about these pages are welcome at qoptics@its.caltech.edu.

This page last modified on 10/01/2008.