Thermometry utilizing stored short-wavelength spin waves in cold atomic ensembles

Temperature, as a measure of thermal motion, is a significant parameter characterizing a cold atomic ensemble optical quantum memory. In a cold gas, storage lifetime strongly depends on its temperature and is associated with the spin wave decoherence. Here we experimentally demonstrate a new spin wave thermometry method relying on this direct dependence. The short-wavelength spin waves resulting from the counter-propagating configuration of the control and the probe laser beams make this thermometry highly suitable for probing in situ the atomic motion in elongated clouds as the ones used in quantum memories. Our technique is realized with comparable precision for memories that rely on electromagnetically induced transparency as well as far-detuned Raman storage.