Dynamic generation of maximally entangled photon multiplets by adiabatic passage - art. no. 063817

The adiabatic passage scheme for quantum state synthesis, in which atomic Z eeman coherences are mapped to photon states in an optical cavity, is exten ded to the general case of two degenerate cavity modes with orthogonal pola rization. Analytical calculations of the dressed-state structure and Monte Carlo wave-function simulations of the system dynamics show that, for a sui tably chosen cavity detuning, it is possible to generate states of photon m ultiplets that are maximally entangled in polarization. These states displa y nonclassical correlations of the type described by Greenberger, Horne, an d Zeilinger (GHZ). An experimental scheme to realize a GHZ measurement usin g coincidence detection of the photons escaping from the cavity is proposed . The correlations are found to originate in the dynamics of the adiabatic passage and persist even if cavity decay and GHZ state synthesis compete on the same time scale. Beyond entangled field states, it is also possible to generate entanglement between photons and the atom by using a different at omic transition and initial Zeeman state.