On-demand control of photon echoes far exceeding the spin coherence constraint via coherence swapping between optical and spin transitions

Using on-demand coherence conversion via optical locking in conventional stimulated (three-pulse) photon echoes, ultralong, ultraefficient photon storage has been observed in a rare-earth Pr3+ doped Y2SiO5, where storage time is several orders of magnitude longer and retrieval efficiency is enhanced by fifty times. Compared with the same method applied to two-pulse photon echoes for a rephasing halt, use of spectral grating in the stimulated photon echoes offers a phase-independent coherence conversion between optical and spin states. Eventually an ultralong spin population decay-dependent photon storage protocol is achieved by applying optical locking to a spectral grating in conventional stimulated photon echoes. The present breakthrough in both photon storage time and retrieval efficiency opens a door to long-distance quantum communications utilizing quantum repeaters.