An advanced Platform for INtegrated Quantum photonics devices (PINQ)

集成量子光子器件的先进平台 (PINQ)

• 批准号: EP/Y003837/1
• 负责人: Margherita Mazzera
• 金额: $ 170.69万
• 依托单位: Heriot-Watt University
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Fellowship
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FY003837%2F1
• 关键词: advanced; Platform; INtegrated; Quantum; photonics

Quantum information science is the field of research that studies the information present in a quantum system. It opens the way to the knowledge of unexplored fundamental physical mechanisms and to the development of novel technologies that will profoundly transform the way we communicate and process our data. Indeed, a number of new technological applications can be envisaged thanks to exquisitely quantum phenomena. While classical information encoding relies on bits, which can be either 0s or 1s, the quantum bits (or qubits) are associated to the state of quantum objects, e.g., single atoms, single spins, or single photons. Because of the quantum superposition principle, the qubits can then be 0s, 1s, or coherent superposition of both, thus giving access to an exceptionally richer alphabet. Quantum information science also exploits quantum entanglement, i.e., strong correlation between quantum objects, as a resource for fast and secure quantum communication protocols.In view of realizing networks for quantum communication, quantum memories are fundamental devices as they act as interfaces between the photons, used as information carriers (or flying qubits), and stationary qubits, exploited for information storage and processing. While atomic gases enabled the first remarkable quantum storage experiments, solid-state systems, and specifically rare earth ion doped crystals, also offer interesting perspectives thanks to the absence of atomic motion and the high density, and the fact that they unleash prospects of integration, which facilitates scalability and employability in real-life quantum technology demonstrations. As a matter of fact, the implementation of quantum information protocols on a small chip has the potential to replicate the revolution of modern electronic miniaturization and intense research efforts are indeed devoted to developing miniaturized photonic integrated circuits for quantum information processing. Yet, on chip memories for single photons, key components of future quantum communication technology, are currently missing. This Fellowship addresses this pressing challenge by developing waveguide quantum memories based on ultrafast laser micromachining of rare earth ion doped crystals. We will engineer the necessary tool kit for the integrated quantum memories to fulfil simultaneously all the requirements for their employability in real-life quantum networks, as on-demand read-out, high efficiency, long storage time, and multimodality. Moreover, we will demonstrate how the integrated design gives access to functionalities that are not possible with bulk devices, like the non-destructive detection of single photons. This vision represents a technological breakthrough toward the realization of complex memory-enhanced quantum photonics circuitry on chip.

量子信息科学是研究量子系统中存在的信息的研究领域。它为了解未开发的基本物理机制以及新技术的发展开辟了道路，这些技术将深刻地改变我们交流和处理数据的方式。确实，由于精美的量子现象，可以设想许多新的技术应用。虽然编码的经典信息取决于位，即可以是0或1s，但量子位（或量子位）与量子对象的状态相关联，例如单原子，单旋转或单个光子。由于具有量子叠加原理，因此Qubits可以是两者的0s，1s或相干叠加，从而可以访问一个异常丰富的字母。量子信息科学还利用了量子纠缠，即量子对象之间的牢固相关性，作为快速和安全的量子通信协议的资源。尽管原子气体使第一个显着的量子储存实验，固态系统，特别是稀土离子掺杂的晶体，但由于缺乏原子运动和高密度以及它们释放整合的前景，这促进了现实生活中量子技术的可扩展性和就业能力，这也提供了有趣的观点。实际上，在小芯片上实施量子信息协议的实施有可能复制现代电子微型化和激烈的研究工作的革命，确实致力于开发微型光子集成电路以进行量子信息处理。但是，在单个光子的芯片记忆中，目前缺少未来量子通信技术的关键组成部分。该奖学金通过基于稀土离子掺杂晶体的超快激光微加工来开发波导量子记忆来解决这一紧迫的挑战。我们将为集成的量子记忆设计必要的工具套件，以同时满足其在现实生活中的量子网络中就业能力的所有要求，例如按需读取，高效率，较长的存储时间和多模式。此外，我们将展示集成设计如何访问散装设备无法使用的功能，例如单光子的无损检测。该视野代表了在芯片上实现复杂内存增强量子光子电路的技术突破。