Macroscopic quantum information channel via the polarization-sensitive interaction between the light and spin subsystems

Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop, Crete 2005: "Quantum Communication and Security" (ISO Press, Amsterdam, 2006), Vol. 199, pp. 346-352 We discuss the quantum information channel, which is based on coherent and polarization sensitive interaction of light and atomic spin waves. We show that the joint Heisenberg dynamics of the polarization Stokes components of light and of the angular momenta of atoms has a wave nature and can be properly described in terms of the macroscopic polariton-type spin wave created in the sample. The principles of the quantum memory and readout protocols via the wave coupling of the output time modes in the light subsystem and the output spatial modes in the spin subsystem are demonstrated.