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。它为了解未探索的基本物理机制和新技术的发展开辟了道路，这些新技术将深刻改变我们通信和处理数据的方式。事实上，由于精致的量子现象，可以设想许多新技术应用。虽然经典信息编码依赖于位（可以是 0 或 1），但量子位（或量子位）与量子对象的状态相关联，例如单个原子、单个自旋或单个光子。由于量子叠加原理，量子位可以是 0、1 或两者的相干叠加，从而获得异常丰富的字母表。量子信息科学还利用量子纠缠，即量子物体之间的强相关性，作为快速、安全的量子通信协议的资源。考虑到实现量子通信网络，量子存储器是基本设备，因为它们充当光子之间的接口，用作信息载体（或飞行量子位）和固定量子位，用于信息存储和处理。虽然原子气体实现了第一个引人注目的量子存储实验，但由于不存在原子运动和高密度，固态系统，特别是稀土离子掺杂晶体，也提供了有趣的前景，并且它们释放了集成的前景，这有助于现实量子技术演示中的可扩展性和可使用性。事实上，在小芯片上实现量子信息协议有可能复制现代电子小型化革命，并且大量的研究工作确实致力于开发用于量子信息处理的小型化光子集成电路。然而，未来量子通信技术的关键组件——单光子片上存储器目前还缺失。该奖学金通过开发基于稀土离子掺杂晶体超快激光微加工的波导量子存储器来解决这一紧迫的挑战。我们将为集成量子存储器设计必要的工具包，以同时满足其在现实量子网络中的应用的所有要求，如按需读出、高效率、长存储时间和多模态。此外，我们将演示集成设计如何提供大容量器件无法实现的功能，例如单光子的无损检测。这一愿景代表了在芯片上实现复杂的记忆增强型量子光子电路的技术突破。