State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Opto－Electronics, Shanxi University, China 2011, Volume 6, Number 3

Quantum information science is an advanced and sophisticated scientific and technologic field rapidly emerging from the interdisciplinary research between quantum physics and information science. Since it can provide, in principle, absolute secure communication and giant quantum parallel computation capability, many scientific communities around the world have been devoted to researching and exploring this new topic. Quantum optics is one of the important basic subjects in modern physics, and the system composed of light and atoms/molecules can be easily manipulated.

The State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics & Quantum Optics Devices, located in Shanxi University, was approved for establishment in October 2001. In 2007, the laboratory was evaluated Excellent among the state key laboratories in the field of information technology. The research of the laboratory is focused on: i) Fundamentals and applications of quantum optics, which is based on the quantum physics; the nonclassical quality of states of light, the realization of quantum states, and the mechanism of the realization of nonclassical states of light by means of modern optics and optoelectronics; the application of nonclassical states of light in quantum information and tests for some basic problems on quantum physics; ii) Interaction between light and atoms. This project aims to research the quantum phenomenon of interaction between light and matter, to explore the quantum physics process of interaction between atoms and photons, and to further research the quantum phenomenon of the interaction between cold atoms and states of light. In addition, this project expects to realize the observation and control of the process of Interaction between atom and photon on single particle scale; iii) All solid state laser technology & optical quantum devices. The research will perfect the high quality all solid single-frequency laser and meanwhile, design and build quantum optics devices such as tunable OPO, little-size all solid light squeezer, entanglement sources of quantum states, etc.

In the field of continuous-variable quantum communication, the laboratory has completed series of creative and characteristic works based on self-designed and self-made systems of two-mode squeezed states and bright entangled states as well as the direct detection system of the Bell states. For example, the bright EPR entangled beams generation, quantum dense coding, generation of multipartite entangle state light, entanglement swapping, etc. The achieved research was awarded the National Natural Science Awards (second-order) in 2006. The research of quantum effects of the interaction between light and matter is another important subject of the Laboratory. We have seven laboratories covering a variety of atomic physics, from hot atomic ensembles to single atom/molecule manipulation, cavity quantum electrodynamics (C-QED), ultra-cold mixed Bose－Fermi gases and ultra-cold molecule, etc. Recently, we have demonstrated the two-channel optical storage and the quantum interference of two-channel atomic memory signals, single atom trap with long life time by optical dipole trap, and measured the single atom trajectory based on the strongly coupled cavity QED. We also obtained 40 K Fermi degeneracy and 87 Rb BEC simultaneously, and observed collective atomic recoil motion in a dilute, momentum-squeezed, ultra-cold degenerate fermion gas by circumventing the effects of Pauli blocking. The coherence of cold Rydberg atoms, the long range interaction of cold cesium molecules and the rotational states of single molecular on the surface of PMMA have also been studied. At the same time, the laboratory cares for developing and applying advanced techniques, and many self-made devices are used, thereby pushing the laboratory’s development. By virtue of long time research accumulation, the laboratory is experimenting with high-power high quality all solid continuous single-frequency laser and entanglement light sources for practical applications. Aiming to obtain the core technique, the laboratory has many state patents accredited. The All Solid Single Mode Single Frequency Green Laser won the National Technical Invention Award (second prize) in 2002.

Under the leadership of Prof. Kun-chi Peng, an academician, the research group made rapid progress and was appraised the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) excellent research team in 2008. Now, there are 32 staff in the laboratory, including 18 researchers (one academician, 13 full professors, and 13 associate professors), four technicians, and three administrative staff. Among them, 24 researchers have received their doctorates. Two researchers are sponsored by the NSFC project for distinguished young scholars. One researcher is a leading scientist for the National Basic Research Program of China. Two researchers are the members of the New Century National Hundred, Thousand and Ten Thousand Talents Project. Five researchers are chosen the members of the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in New Century. Two researchers are honored the professors of Proposal for Changjiang Scholars.

With the support from Shanxi University and other departments at different levels, the laboratory will aim firmly at the state strategic targets based on its creative fundamental research, and will speed up the realization of scientific research achievement. At the same time, the laboratory will strengthen the integration of theory and experiment, and make greater progress in the research on quantum optics and quantum optics devices to fulfill the state strategic requirement.

Website:http://www.sxu.edu.cn/yjjg/gjzdsys