Optimal absorption and emission of itinerant fields into a spin ensemble memory

Abstract: Quantum memories integrated in a modular quantum processing architecture can rationalize the resources required for quantum computation. This work focuses on spin-based quantum memories, where itinerant electromagnetic fields are stored in large ensembles of effective two-level systems, such as atomic or solid-state spin ensembles, embedded in a cavity. Using a mean-field framework, we model the ensemble as an effective spin communication channel and develop a cascaded quantum model to describe both absorption and emission processes. We derive optimal time-dependent modulations of the cavity linewidth that maximize storage and retrieval efficiency for finite-duration wavepackets. Our analysis yields an upper bound on efficiency, which can be met in the narrow bandwidth regime. It also shows the existence of a critical bandwidth above which the efficiency severely decreases. Numerical simulations are presented in the context of microwave-frequency quantum memories interfaced with superconducting quantum processors, highlighting the protocol's relevance for modular quantum architectures.