Prospects for storage and retrieval of a quantum-dot single photon in an ultracold 87Rb ensemble

Epitaxially grown quantum dots (QDs) are promising sources of nonclassical states of light such as single photons and entangled photons. However, in order for them to be used as a resource for long-distance quantum communication, distributed quantum computation, or linear optics quantum computing, these photons must be coupled efficiently to long-lived quantum memories as part of a quantum repeater network. Here, we theoretically examine the prospects for efficient storage and retrieval of a QD-generated single photon with a 1-ns lifetime in a multilevel atomic system. We calculate using an experimentally demonstrated optical depth of 150 that the storage (total) efficiency can exceed 46% (28%) in a dense, ultracold ensemble of 87Rb atoms. Furthermore, we find that the optimal control pulse required for storage and retrieval can be obtained using a diode laser and an electro-optic modulator rather than a mode-locked, pulsed laser source. Increasing the optical depth, for example, by using Bose-condensed ensembles or an optical cavity, can increase the efficiencies to near unity. Aside from enabling a high-speed quantum network based on QDs, such an efficient optical interface between an atomic ensemble and a QD can also lead to entanglement between collective spin-wave excitations of atoms and the spin of an electron or hole confined in the QD.