Dynamics of collective excitation transfer in multimode quantum memories using multiple rapid adiabatic pulses

Multimode quantum memories are fundamental building blocks for quantum communication and networks, storing photonic quantum states in long-lived atomic spin excitations. However, their performance critically hinges on the efficiency of collective excitation transfer between photonic and spin states. Here, we theoretically and numerically investigate the dynamics of adiabatic pulses during this transfer process in atomic frequency comb-spin wave memories, comparing the standard Landau–Zener pulse, Roland–Cerf pulse and transitionless adiabatic control. We demonstrate highly efficient collective excitation transfer that is robust against variations in control-pulse amplitude and duration. Crucially, our protocol achieves rapid transfer — enhancing the capacity for stored modes — while preserving the coherence of superposition states. These results advance the development of high-fidelity, efficient manipulation in multimode quantum memories.