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We offer a perspective on recent advances in picosecond-timescale all-optical switching with applications in quantum optics. The switch is based on polarization rotation in standard single-mode fiber via the optical Kerr effect. By using ultrafast laser pulses and short (∼10 cm) fibers, this technique can achieve a switching duration of ≲1 ps, at the repetition rate of 80 MHz or above. This high repetition rate is well-suited to quantum optics where experiments operate in the photon-counting regime. The switch efficiency can be ≳99% with a noise floor of just ∼10−4 photons/pulse, enabling high fidelity operations on quantum states of light, with negligible generation of spurious noise photons. We highlight the capabilities of this technique in four early applications: switching of heralded single photons, time-bin to polarization conversion of photonic qubits, noise gating for quantum key distribution, and pulse carving.

We propose a quantum memory protocol based on trapping photons in a fiber-integrated cavity, comprised of a birefringent fiber with dichroic reflective end facets. Photons are switched into resonance with the fiber cavity by intracavity Bragg-scattering frequency translation, driven by ancillary control pulses. After the storage delay, photons are switched out of resonance with the cavity, again by intracavity frequency translation. We demonstrate storage of quantum-level THz-bandwidth coherent states for a lifetime up to 16 cavity round trips, or 200ns, and a maximum overall efficiency of 73%., Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures

In this work we investigate quantum-enhanced target detection in the presence of large background noise using multidimensional quantum correlations between photon pairs generated through spontaneous parametric down-conversion. Until now similar experiments have only utilized one of the photon pairs' many degrees of freedom such as temporal correlations and photon number correlations. Here, we utilized both temporal and spectral correlations of the photon pairs and achieved over an order of magnitude reduction to the background noise and in turn significant reduction to data acquisition time when compared to utilizing only temporal modes. We believe this work represents an important step in realizing a practical, real-time quantum-enhanced target detection system. The demonstrated technique will also be of importance in many other quantum sensing applications and quantum communications., 9 pages, 7 figures

At the fundamental level, quantum communication is ultimately limited by noise. For instance, quantum signals cannot be amplified without the introduction of noise in the amplified states. Furthermore, photon loss reduces the signal-to-noise ratio, accentuating the effect of noise. Thus, most of the efforts in quantum communications have been directed towards overcoming noise to achieve longer communication distances, larger secret key rates, or to operate in noisier environmental conditions. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a platform for quantum communication based on ultrafast optical techniques. In particular, our scheme enables the experimental realization of high-rates and quantum signal filtering approaching a single spectro-temporal mode, resulting in a dramatic reduction in channel noise. By experimentally realizing a 1-ps optically induced temporal gate, we show that ultrafast time filtering can result in an improvement in noise tolerance by a factor of up to 1200 compared to a 2-ns electronic filter enabling daytime quantum key distribution or quantum communication in bright fibers., 11 pages, 9 figures

We describe a simple multivariate technique of likelihood ratios for improved discrimination of signal and background in multi-dimensional quantum target detection. The technique combines two independent variables, time difference and summed energy, of a photon pair from the spontaneous parametric down-conversion source into an optimal discriminant. The discriminant performance was studied in experimental data and in Monte-Carlo modelling with clear improvement shown compared to previous techniques. As novel detectors become available, we expect this type of multivariate analysis to become increasingly important in multi-dimensional quantum optics., The following article has been published by Applied Physics Letters. It can be found at https://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/5.0012429

In order to enhance LIDAR performance metrics such as target detection sensitivity, noise resilience and ranging accuracy, we exploit the strong temporal correlation within the photon pairs generated in continuous-wave pumped semiconductor waveguides. The enhancement attained through the use of such non-classical sources is measured and compared to a corresponding target detection scheme based on simple photon-counting detection. The performances of both schemes are quantified by the estimation uncertainty and Fisher information of the probe photon transmission, which is a widely adopted sensing figure of merit. The target detection experiments are conducted with high probe channel loss (\(\simeq 1-5\times10^{-5}\)) and formidable environment noise up to 36 dB stronger than the detected probe power of \(1.64\times 10^{-5}\) pW. The experimental result shows significant advantages offered by the enhanced scheme with up to 26.3 dB higher performance in terms of estimation uncertainty, which is equivalent to a reduction of target detection time by a factor of 430 or 146 (21.6 dB) times more resilience to noise. We also experimentally demonstrated ranging with these non-classical photon pairs generated with continuous-wave pump in the presence of strong noise and loss, achieving \(\approx\)5 cm distance resolution that is limited by the temporal resolution of the detectors.

In this work we demonstrate spectral-temporal correlation measurements of the Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference effect with the use of a spectrometer based on a photon-counting camera. This setup allows us to take, within seconds, spectral temporal correlation measurements on entangled photon sources with sub-nanometer spectral resolution and nanosecond timing resolution. Through post processing, we can observe the HOM behaviour for any number of spectral filters of any shape and width at any wavelength over the observable spectral range. Our setup also offers great versatility in that it is capable of operating at a wide spectral range from the visible to the near infrared and does not require a pulsed pump laser for timing purposes. This work offers the ability to gain large amounts of spectral and temporal information from a HOM interferometer quickly and efficiently and will be a very useful tool for many quantum technology applications and fundamental quantum optics research.

We examine the propagation of optical beams possessing different polarization states and spatial modes through the Ottawa River in Canada. A Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor is used to record the distorted beam's wavefront. The turbulence in the underwater channel is analysed, and associated Zernike coefficients are obtained in real-time. Finally, we explore the feasibility of transmitting polarization states as well as spatial modes through the underwater channel for applications in quantum cryptography., 5 pages, 4 figures. Comments welcome

We investigate the use of correlated photon pair sources for the improved quantum-level detection of a target in the presence of a noise background. Photon pairs are generated by spontaneous four-wave mixing, one photon from each pair (the herald) is measured locally while the other (the signal) is sent to illuminate the target. Following diffuse reflection from the target, the signal photons are detected by a receiver and non-classical timing correlations between the signal and herald are measured in the presence of a configurable background noise source. Quantum correlations from the photon pair source can be used to provide an enhanced signal-to-noise ratio when compared to a classical light source of the same intensity., Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures

Cylindrical vector (CV) beams are a set of transverse spatial modes that exhibit a cylindrically symmetric intensity profile and a variable polarization about the beam axis. They are composed of a non-separable superposition of orbital and spin angular momenta. Critically, CV beams are also the eigenmodes of optical fiber and, as such, are of widespread practical importance in photonics and have the potential to increase communications bandwidth through spatial multiplexing. Here, we derive the coupled amplitude equations that describe the four-wave mixing (FWM) of CV beams in optical fibers. These equations allow us to determine the selection rules that govern the interconversion of CV modes in FWM processes. With these selection rules, we show that FWM conserves the total angular momentum, the sum of orbital and spin angular momenta, in the conversion of two input photons to two output photons. When applied to spontaneous FWM, the selection rules show that photon pairs can be generated in CV modes directly and can be entangled in those modes. Such quantum states of light in CV modes could benefit technologies such as quantum key distribution with satellites.

Wavelength-tunable, time-locked pairs of ultrafast pulses are crucial in modern-day time-resolved measurements. We demonstrate a simple means of generating configurable optical pulse sequences: sub-picosecond pulses are carved out from a continuous wave laser via pump-induced optical Kerr switching in 10 cm of a commercial single-mode fiber. By introducing dispersion to the pump, the near transform-limited switched pulse duration is tuned between 305–570 fs. Two- and four-pulse signal trains are also generated by adding birefringent α-BBO plates in the pump beam. These results highlight an ultrafast light source with intrinsic timing stability and pulse-to-pulse phase coherence, where pulse generation could be adapted to wavelengths ranging from ultraviolet to infrared.

Quantum frequency conversion is a powerful tool for the construction of hybrid quantum photonic technologies. Raman quantum memories are a promising method of conversion due to their broad bandwidths. Here we demonstrate frequency conversion of THz-bandwidth, fs-duration photons at the single-photon level using a Raman quantum memory based on the rotational levels of hydrogen molecules. We shift photons from 765 nm to wavelengths spanning from 673 to 590 nm---an absolute shift of up to 116 THz. We measure total conversion efficiencies of up to 10% and a maximum signal-to-noise ratio of 4.0(1):1, giving an expected conditional fidelity of 0.75, which exceeds the classical threshold of 2/3. Thermal noise could be eliminated by cooling with liquid nitrogen, giving noiseless conversion with wide tunability in the visible and infrared.

We perform joint spectral intensity measurements by studying stimulated four wave mixing in a birefringent fiber photon pair source. Seeding the process with a chirped supercontinuum beam, measurements are acquired in as little as 5 s., Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO): QELS_Fundamental Science 2018, 13–18 May 2018, San Jose, CA United States

The encoding of quantum information in photonic time-bin qubits is apt for long-distance quantum communication schemes. In practice, due to technical constraints such as detector response time, or the speed with which copolarized time-bins can be switched, other encodings, e.g., polarization, are often preferred for operations like state detection. Here, we present the conversion of qubits between polarization and time-bin encodings by using a method that is based on an ultrafast optical Kerr shutter and attain efficiencies of 97% and an average fidelity of $0.827\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.003$ with shutter speeds near 1 ps. Our demonstration delineates an essential requirement for the development of hybrid and high-rate optical quantum networks.

Bulk diamond phonons have been shown to be a versatile platform for the generation, storage, and manipulation of high-bandwidth quantum states of light. Here we demonstrate a diamond quantum memory that stores, and releases on demand, an arbitrarily polarized $\ensuremath{\sim}250$ fs duration photonic qubit. The single-mode nature of the memory is overcome by mapping the two degrees of polarization of the qubit, via Raman transitions, onto two spatially distinct optical phonon modes located in the same diamond crystal. The two modes are coherently recombined upon retrieval and quantum process tomography confirms that the memory faithfully reproduces the input state with average fidelity $0.784\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.004$ with a total memory efficiency of $(0.76\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03)%$. In an additional demonstration, one photon of a polarization-entangled pair is stored in the memory. We report that entanglement persists in the retrieved state for up to 1.3 ps of storage time. These results demonstrate that the diamond phonon platform can be used in concert with polarization qubits, a key requirement for polarization-encoded photonic processing.

A quantum memory can be viewed as a light-matter beam-splitter, mapping a photon to a superposition of the output optical mode and stored mode. We use this mechanism to demonstrate non-classical one-photon and two-photon interference., CLEO: QELS_Fundamental Science, 14–19 May 2017, San Jose, California

Optically induced ultrafast switching of single photons is demonstrated by rotating the photon polarization via the Kerr effect in a commercially available single-mode fiber. A switching efficiency of 97% is achieved with a ∼1.7 ps switching time and signal-to-noise ratio of ∼800. Preservation of the single-photon properties is confirmed by measuring no significant increase in the second-order autocorrelation function 𝑔⁽²⁾(0). These values are attained with only nanojoule-level pump energies that are produced by a laser oscillator with 80 MHz repetition rate. The results highlight a simple device capable of both high-bandwidth operations and preservation of single-photon properties for applications in photonic quantum processing and ultrafast time-gating or switching.

The ability to store multiple optical modes in a quantum memory allows for increased efficiency of quantum communication and computation. Here we compute the multimode capacity of a variety of quantum memory protocols based on light storage in ensembles of atoms. We find that adding a controlled inhomogeneous broadening improves this capacity significantly., Published version. Many thanks are due to Christoph Simon for his help and suggestions. (This acknowledgement is missing from the final draft: apologies!)

We propose a scheme for preparation of high-coherence molecular dynamics which are phase stable with respect to ultrashort pulses. We experimentally demonstrate an example of this scheme using a phase-independent, nanosecond-duration, pump pulse to prepare a rotational coherence in molecular hydrogen. This rotational coherence is made phase stable with respect to a separate source of ultrashort pulses by seeding. The coherence is used to generate spectral broadening of femtosecond probe radiation by molecular phase modulation.

Received 12 April 2008; revised manuscript received 1 September 2008; published 9 October 2008A technique to measure the decoherence time of optical phonons in a solid is presented. Phonons are excitedwith a pair of time-delayed 80 fs near infrared pulses via spontaneous transient Raman scattering. The spectralfringe visibility of the resulting Raman pulse pair, as a function of time delay, is used to measure the phonondephasing time. The method avoids the need to use either narrow band or few femtosecond pulses and is usefulfor low phonon excitations. The dephasing time of phonons created in bulk diamond is measured to be =6.8 ps −1 =1.56 cm .DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.78.155201 PACS number s : 78.30.Am, 81.70.Fy, 65.40. b, 63.20.Ry

Quantum interference of single photons is a fundamental aspect of many photonic quantum processing and communication protocols. Interference requires that the multiple pathways through an interferometer be temporally indistinguishable to within the coherence time of the photon. In this Letter, we use a diamond quantum memory to demonstrate interference between quantum pathways, initially temporally separated by many multiples of the optical coherence time. The quantum memory can be viewed as a light-matter beam splitter, mapping a THz-bandwidth single photon to a variable superposition of the output optical mode and stored phononic mode. Because the memory acts both as a beam splitter and as a buffer, the relevant coherence time for interference is not that of the photon, but rather that of the memory. We use this mechanism to demonstrate nonclassical single-photon and two-photon interference between quantum pathways initially separated by several picoseconds, even though the duration of the photons themselves is just ∼250 fs.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a scheme to generate optically controlled delays based on off-resonant Raman absorption. Dispersion in a transparency window between two neighboring, optically activated Raman absorption lines is used to reduce the group velocity of broadband 765 nm pulses. We implement this approach in a potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) waveguide at room temperature, and demonstrate Raman-induced delays of up to 140 fs for a 650-fs duration, 1.8-THz bandwidth, pulse. Our approach should be applicable to single-photon signals, offers wavelength tunability, and is a step toward processing ultrafast photons.

The spectral manipulation of photons is essential for linking components in a quantum network. Large frequency shifts are needed for conversion between optical and telecommunication frequencies, while smaller shifts are useful for frequency-multiplexing quantum systems, in the same way that wavelength division multiplexing is used in classical communications. Here we demonstrate frequency and bandwidth conversion of single photons in a room-temperature diamond quantum memory. Heralded 723.5 nm photons, with 4.1 nm bandwidth, are stored as optical phonons in the diamond via a Raman transition. Upon retrieval from the diamond memory, the spectral shape of the photons is determined by a tunable read pulse through the reverse Raman transition. We report central frequency tunability over 4.2 times the input bandwidth, and bandwidth modulation between 0.5 and 1.9 times the input bandwidth. Our results demonstrate the potential for diamond, and Raman memories in general, as an integrated platform for photon storage and spectral conversion., Controlling the spectral properties of single photons is important for emerging optical quantum technologies, but doing so in a frequency-multiplexed framework is challenging. Here, the authors demonstrate quantum frequency conversion with a Raman quantum memory in room-temperature diamond.

Quantum light-matter interfaces are at the heart of photonic quantum technologies. Quantum memories for photons, where non-classical states of photons are mapped onto stationary matter states and preserved for subsequent retrieval, are technical realizations enabled by exquisite control over interactions between light and matter. The ability of quantum memories to synchronize probabilistic events makes them a key component in quantum repeaters and quantum computation based on linear optics. This critical feature has motivated many groups to dedicate theoretical and experimental research to develop quantum memory devices. In recent years, exciting new applications, and more advanced developments of quantum memories, have proliferated. In this review, we outline some of the emerging applications of quantum memories in optical signal processing, quantum computation, and nonlinear optics. We review recent experimental and theoretical developments, and their impacts on more advanced photonic quantum technologies based on quantum memories., Review paper. Comments are welcome!

We demonstrate a quantum memory using the optical phonon modes of room-temperature diamond [1, 2]. The memory stores THz-bandwidth single photons produced by parametric down-conversion for several picoseconds and offers operations upon the stored light.

The dynamic Stark effect is the quasistatic shift in energy levels due to the application of optical fields. The effect is in many ways similar to the static Stark effect. However, the dynamic Stark effect can be applied on rapid time scales and with high energies, comparable to those of atoms and molecules themselves. The dynamic Stark effect due to nonresonant laser fields is used in a myriad of contemporary experiments to hold and align molecules, to shape potential energy surfaces, and to make rapid transient birefringence. Five approaches of increasing sophistication are used to describe the dynamic Stark effect. One application, molecular alignment, is summarized and a comparison is made between the dynamic Stark effect and Stokes light generation in a Raman scattering process. © 2011 American Association of Physics Teachers.

Transient Coherent Ultrafast Phonon Spectroscopy (TCUPS) is utilized to study phonon dephasing lifetimes in various diamond types. Samples of natural, chemical vapour deposited, and high pressure high temperature diamond are compared showing significant differences. Dephasing mechanisms are discussed. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The absorption of broadband photons in atomic ensembles requires either an effective broadening of the atomic transition linewidth, or an off-resonance Raman interaction. Here we propose a scheme for a quantum memory capable of storing and retrieving ultrafast photons in an ensemble of two-level atoms by using a propagation medium with a time-dependent refractive index generated from aligning an ensemble of gas-phase diatomic molecules. The refractive index dynamics generates an effective longitudinal inhomogeneous broadening of the two-level transition. We numerically demonstrate this scheme for storage and retrieval of a weak pulse as short as 50 fs, with a storage time of up to 20 ps. With additional optical control of the molecular alignment dynamics, the storage time can be extended about one nanosecond leading to time-bandwidth products of order $10^4$. This scheme could in principle be achieved using either a hollow-core fiber or a high-pressure gas cell, in a gaseous host medium comprised of diatomic molecules and a two-level atomic vapor at room temperature., Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures. Fixed typos

We use the vibrational levels of hydrogen molecules as a memory for light to store 100-fs pulses. We also demonstrate non-classical correlations in an emissive quantum memory using rotational levels of hydrogen molecules., CLEO : QELS_Fundamental Science, May 10-15, 2015, San Jose, California

We report the storage and retrieval of single photons, via a quantum memory, in the optical phonons of room-temperature bulk diamond. The THz-bandwidth heralded photons are generated by spontaneous parametric downconversion and mapped to phonons via a Raman transition, stored for a variable delay, and released on demand. The second-order correlation of the memory output is $g^{(2)}(0) = 0.65 \pm 0.07$, demonstrating preservation of non-classical photon statistics throughout storage and retrieval. The memory is low-noise, high-speed and broadly tunable; it therefore promises to be a versatile light-matter interface for local quantum processing applications., 6 pages, 4 figures

We report the storage and retrieval of single photons, via a quantum memory, in the optical phonons of a room-temperature bulk diamond. The THz-bandwidth heralded photons are generated by spontaneous parametric down-conversion and mapped to phonons via a Raman transition, stored for a variable delay, and released on demand. The second-order correlation of the memory output is g((2))(0)=0.65±0.07, demonstrating a preservation of nonclassical photon statistics throughout storage and retrieval. The memory is low noise, high speed and broadly tunable; it therefore promises to be a versatile light-matter interface for local quantum processing applications.

We have demonstrated a THz-bandwidth quantum memory using the optical phonon modes of room-temperature diamond [1]. A noise-floor of just 0.007 photons per pulse provides the opportunity to store photons produced by spontaneous parametric downconversion.

We demonstrate a memory for light based on storing photons in the vibrations of hydrogen molecules. The THz-bandwidth memory is used to store 100-fs pulses for durations up to ∼1ns, enabling ∼10⁴ operational time bins., Frontiers in Optics, October 19-23, 2014, Tucson, Arizona, USA

A new algorithm was developed to classify populations of binary (black and white) images of cloud particles collected with Particle Measuring Systems (PMS) Optical Array Probes (OAPA). The algorithm classifies images into four habit categories: ‘‘spheres,’’ ‘‘irregulars,’’ ‘‘needles,’’ and ‘‘dendrites.’’ The present algorithm derives the particle habits from an analysis of dimensionless ratios of simple geometrical measures such as the x and y dimensions, perimeter, and image area. For an ensemble of images containing a mixture of different habits, the distribution of a particular ratio will be a linear superposition of basis distributions of ratios of the individual habits. The fraction of each habit in the ensemble is found by solving the inverse problem. One of the advantages of the suggested scheme is that it provides recognition analysis of both ‘‘complete’’ and ‘‘partial’’ images, that is, images that are completely or partially contained within the sample area of the probe. The ability to process ‘‘partial’’ images improves the statistics of the recognition by approximately 50% when compared with retrievals that use ‘‘complete’’ images only. The details of this algorithm are discussed in this study.

As quantum mechanics moves out of the laboratory into technology, Raman scattering offers robust and high-speed operation. We have utilized Raman scattering to implement a THz-bandwidth quantum memory and a GBit/s quantum random number generator.

The unusual features of quantum mechanics are enabling the development of technologies not possible with classical physics. These devices utilize nonclassical phenomena in the states of atoms, ions, and solid-state media as the basis for many prototypes. Here we investigate molecular states as a distinct alternative. We demonstrate a memory for light based on storing photons in the vibrations of hydrogen molecules. The THz-bandwidth molecular memory is used to store 100-fs pulses for durations up to 1ns, enabling 10,000 operational time bins. The results demonstrate the promise of molecules for constructing compact ultrafast quantum photonic technologies., Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, 1 table

Optical quantum memories are vital for the scalability of future quantum technologies, enabling long-distance secure communication and local synchronization of quantum components. We demonstrate a THz-bandwidth memory for light using the optical phonon modes of a room temperature diamond. This large bandwidth makes the memory compatible with down-conversion-type photon sources. We demonstrate that four-wave mixing noise in this system is suppressed by material dispersion. The resulting noise floor is just $7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ photons per pulse, which establishes that the memory is capable of storing single quanta. We investigate the principle sources of noise in this system and demonstrate that high material dispersion can be used to suppress four-wave mixing noise in $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$-type systems.

Optical quantum memories are an important component of future optical and hybrid quantum technologies. Raman schemes are strong candidates for use with ultrashort optical pulses due to their broad bandwidth; however, the elimination of deleterious four-wave mixing noise from Raman memories is critical for practical applications. Here, we demonstrate a quantum memory using the rotational states of hydrogen molecules at room temperature. Polarization selection rules prohibit four-wave mixing, allowing the storage and retrieval of attenuated coherent states with a mean photon number 0.9 and a pulse duration 175 fs. The 1/e memory lifetime is 85.5 ps, demonstrating a time-bandwidth product of ≈480 in a memory that is well suited for use with broadband heralded down-conversion and fiber-based photon sources.

We demonstrate a scheme for the preparation of molecular alignment and angular momentum orientation using a hybrid combination of two limits of Raman scattering. First a weak, impulsive pump pulse initializes the system via the nonresonant dynamic Stark effect. Then, having overcome the influence of the vacuum fluctuations, an amplification pulse selectively enhances the initial coherences by transient stimulated Raman scattering, generating alignment and angular momentum orientation of molecular hydrogen. The amplitude and phase of the resulting coherent dynamics are experimentally probed, indicating an amplification factor of $4.5$. An analytic theory is developed to model the dynamics.

Time-resolved photoelectron imaging was used to investigate the dynamical evolution of the initially prepared S(1) (ππ*) excited state of phenol (hydroxybenzene), catechol (1,2-dihydroxybenzene), resorcinol (1,3-dihydroxybenzene), and hydroquinone (1,4-dihydroxybenzene) following excitation at 267 nm. Our analysis was supported by ab initio calculations at the coupled-cluster and CASSCF levels of theory. In all cases, we observe rapid (

We demonstrate entanglement between the vibrational mode of two macroscopic, spatially-separated diamonds at room temperature with ultrashort pulses and a far-off-resonant Raman interaction. © 2012 OSA., 2012 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO 2012, May 6-11, 2012, San Jose, CA, USA

Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) is a powerful tool for the manipulation and articulation of quantum systems. I will describe some practical applications of SRS in the development of quantum technologies.

We introduce a quantum random number generator based on the phase measurement of Stokes light generated by amplification of zero-point vacuum fluctuations using stimulated Raman scattering in bulk diamond.

The application of nonresonant lasers to quantum systems can modify energy levels in a general way. This approach, using the nonresonant dynamic Stark effect, is an effective mechanism for modifying chemical dynamics. These molecular techniques have analogous implementations in quantum technologies. Applications include controlling vacuum fluctuations to create molecular alignment and broadband light sources, photonic catalysis, quantum memories in atomic vapours, and photonics in bulk diamond phonons. The links between these different applications are investigated. © 2011 IEEE., 2011 ICO International Conference on Information Photonics, IP 2011, 18 May 2011 through 20 May 2011, Ottawa, ON

The non-resonant dynamic Stark effect is a powerful and general way of manipulating ultrafast processes in atoms, molecules, and solids with exquisite precision. We discuss the physics behind this effect, and demonstrate its efficacy as a method of control in a variety of systems. These applications range from the control of molecular rotational dynamics to the manipulation of chemical reaction dynamics, and from the suppression of vacuum fluctuation effects in coherent preparation of matter, to the dynamic generation of bandwidth for storage of broadband quantum states of light.

We present an overview of developments using the nonresonant dynamic Stark effect within the fields of time-resolved molecular dynamics and quantum control, drawing on examples from our own recent work. Particular emphasis is placed on the notion that “dynamics” and “control” are not distinct disciplines and that a clear synergy exits between these areas which has, up to now, been somewhat underexploited. The dynamic Stark effect is a universal interaction which we expect to have broad applicability.