Raman scheme for adjustable-bandwidth quantum memory

We propose a scenario of quantum memory for light based on Raman scattering. The storage medium is a vapor and the different spectral components of the input pulse are stored in different atomic velocity classes. One uses appropriate pulses to reverse the resulting Doppler phase shift and to regenerate the input pulse, without distortion, in the backward direction. The different stages of the protocol are detailed and the recovery efficiency is calculated in the semiclassical picture. Since the memory bandwidth is determined by the Raman transition Doppler width, it can be adjusted by changing the angle between the input pulse wave vector and the control beams. The optical depth also depends on the beam angle. As a consequence the available optical depth can be optimized depending on the needed bandwidth. The predicted recovery efficiency is close to 100% for large optical depth.