CAREER: Quantum Light-Matter Interfaces Based on Rare-Earth Ions and Nanophotonics

题目：基于稀土掺杂晶体和纳米光子学的光子量子态片上存储和检索的量子光物质界面非技术描述：我们社会使用的信息通过计算机微处理器中的电信号进行处理，并通过形成互联网骨干的光纤网络中的光信号进行长距离传输。这些技术的性能已经达到了基本极限，因此量子机器有望推动下一次技术革命。这些机器通过操纵原子和光子的最基本属性，即它们的量子态来处理信息。应用包括互联网上绝对安全的通信，快速解决药物发现中的蛋白质折叠等问题的能力，以及具有极端特性的新材料的量子模拟。与目前的互联网类似，光量子网络将用于互联量子机器。量子网络由光子传播的光通道和利用量子光-物质界面产生、存储和处理光子的节点组成。这项研究的目标是开发芯片上的光物质接口，用于存储光子及其量子态。根据不同的应用，接口可以作为一个存储器，在那里量子态被检索回光子，或者状态可以转移到另一个量子设备。这些界面将使用掺杂稀土原子的固态晶体来实现，稀土原子以其优异的光子存储能力而闻名。来自半导体行业的成熟加工技术将用于直接在晶体芯片中制造光-物质界面，从而导致可扩展的平台。本研究处于量子科学与量子工程的过渡阶段。因此，这个项目提供了一个理想的机会，让公众了解这种转变，这种转变正在发生，为基础量子科学开发的多种技术正在量子计算、通信和传感领域得到应用。为了获得广泛的受众，首席研究员和他的团队成员将撰写文章并制作教育视频，并将其发布在科学博客上。为了增加科学和工程领域的多样性，该研究小组将参与一项与纳瓦霍族美国印第安人保留地一所高中的外展项目。技术描述：量子光-物质界面将光子的量子态可逆地映射到原子的量子态上，是量子工程工具箱中的重要组成部分，在量子通信、计算和量子传感中有应用。本研究的目标是开发基于纳米光子谐振器的片上量子光物质界面，这些谐振器是由稀土掺杂晶体制造的，已知这些晶体在固态中具有最长的光学和自旋相干时间。具有高质量因数的纳米级光学谐振器的作用是增强单光子与稀土离子小集合的相互作用，从而使紧凑的器件适合大规模集成。该实验方法融合了稀土掺杂晶体（钕掺杂正硅酸钇）的新型纳米制造技术、高分辨率激光光谱和原子量子态的相干控制。本研究的结果将评估基于稀土掺杂晶体开发集成纳米光子量子器件的可行性。研究稀土离子在纳米环境下的光学相干性、光谱稳定性和自旋相干性，并开发在片上光子网络中相干控制其量子态的技术。将展示迄今为止占地面积最小的光量子存储器及其片上集成。该职业奖由电气、通信和网络系统（ECCS）部门的电子、光子学和磁性器件（EPMD）项目、材料研究部门（DMR）的电子和光子材料（EPM）项目以及物理部（PHY）的量子信息科学（QIS）项目共同资助。

Title: Quantum Light-Matter Interfaces Based on Rare-earth-doped Crystals and Nanophotonics for On-chip Storage and Retrieval of Photonic Quantum StatesNon-Technical Description: Information utilized by our society is processed using electrical signals in computer microprocessors, and transmitted long distances using optical signals travelling in fiber networks that form the backbone of the Internet. The performance of these technologies is reaching fundamental limits, so quantum machines are expected to drive the next technological revolution. These machines process information by manipulating the most fundamental properties of atoms and photons, their quantum states. Applications include absolutely secure communications over the Internet, the capability to quickly solve problems like protein folding for drug discovery, and quantum simulation of new materials with extreme properties. Analogous to the current Internet, optical quantum networks will be used to interconnect quantum machines. Quantum networks consist of optical channels where photons travel and nodes where photons are generated, stored and processed using quantum light-matter interfaces. The goal of this research is to develop on-chip light-matter interfaces for storing photons and their quantum states. Depending on the application, the interface could act as a memory where the quantum state is retrieved back into a photon, or the state could be transferred to another quantum device. The interfaces will be implemented using solid-state crystals doped with rare-earth atoms, materials known for their excellent photon storage capability. Established processing techniques from the semiconductor industry will be used to fabricate the light-matter interfaces directly in crystalline chips, thus leading to a scalable platform. The proposed research is situated at the transition between quantum science and quantum engineering. Thus, this project provides an ideal opportunity to educate the general public about this transition, which is happening now, where multiple technologies developed for fundamental quantum science are finding applications in quantum computing, communications and sensing. To reach a broad audience, the principal investigator and members of his group will write articles and develop educational videos that will be posted on scientific blogs. To increase diversity in science and engineering, the research group will be involved in an outreach program with a high school on the Navajo Nation US Indian reservation.Technical description: Quantum light-matter interfaces that reversibly map the quantum state of photons onto the quantum states of atoms, are essential components in the quantum engineering toolbox with applications in quantum communication, computing, and quantum-enabled sensing. The goal of this research is to develop on-chip quantum light-matter interfaces based on nanophotonic resonators fabricated in rare-earth-doped crystals known to exhibit some of the longest optical and spin coherence times in the solid state. The role of nano-scale optical resonators with high quality factors is to enhance the interaction of single photons with small ensembles of rare-earth ions thus enabling compact devices suitable for large-scale integration. The experimental approach merges new nano-fabrication techniques for rare-earth-doped crystals (neodymium doped yttrium orthosilicate), high-resolution laser spectroscopy, and coherent control of atomic quantum states. As a result of this research, the feasibility of developing integrated nanophotonic quantum devices based on rare-earth-doped crystals will be assessed. The optical coherence, the spectral stability and the spin coherence of rare-earth ions embedded in a nano-scale environment will be studied, and techniques for coherent control of their quantum states in on-chip photonic networks will be developed. Optical quantum memories with the smallest footprint to date and their on-chip integration will be demonstrated.This CAREER award is jointly funded by the Electronics, Photonics, and Magnetic Devices (EPMD) Program in the Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS), the Electronic and Photonic Materials (EPM) Program in the Division of Materials Research (DMR), and the Quantum Information Science (QIS) Program in the Division of Physics (PHY).