Controlled Displacement of Stored Light at Room Temperature

Abstract

We report the demonstration of spatially translating a stored optical pulse at room temperature over distances exceeding one optical wavelength. By implementing an interferometric scheme, we further measure the average speed of this linear translation, thus harnessing a stopped-light experiment for a sensing application. This work extends the use of quantum memories beyond quantum communication and information contexts, opening a pathway to novel methods of velocity measurements with high sensitivity.