EFRI ACQUIRE: Development of Heterogenous Platform for Chip-Based Quantum Information Applications

量子信息科学提供了创造新工具来开发完全安全的通信网络的可能性。在过去的十年里，我们看到了许多基于光的量子网络组件的有前景的原理证明演示，这些组件使用了各种平台，包括大宗材料、光纤和最近的光子芯片。为了满足实现量子信息技术普及所必需的可扩展性、健壮性和成本要求，一个与硅电子兼容的平台是必不可少的。然而，从目前基于芯片的光子技术的进展来看，越来越清楚的是，没有一种材料能够提供构建全面量子网络所需的所有功能。这里提出的实现完全集成、实用、健壮和可扩展的量子网络这一愿景的方法是一个新颖的三维异质光子平台，其中每个材料层或耦合层的组合为特定功能提供最佳性能，例如可控地产生单光子或存储光子包含的信息。该平台的实现将提供每种材料的最佳特性，以实现高性能、完全集成的量子光子芯片，并将其应用于量子通信演示。此外，该团队将进行更广泛的影响努力，包括通过约翰·霍普金斯大学巴尔的摩小学的科学技术、工程和数学成就计划与未被充分代表的群体进行接触，在纽黑文的费尔黑文中学双语科学课上发表演讲和实验室演示，并通过史蒂文斯的技术强化计划指导未被充分代表的科学、工程和数学专业的新生。过去十年，我们看到了许多在各种平台上用于量子信息的有前途的光子设备，包括大宗几何、光纤和最近的光子芯片。为了满足实现量子通信技术普及所必需的可扩展性、健壮性和成本要求，硅兼容平台是必不可少的。然而，从目前基于芯片的光子技术的进展来看，越来越清楚的是，没有一种材料能够提供构建全面量子网络所需的所有功能。为了实现这一愿景，提出了一种新颖的三维异质光子平台，其中每个材料层或耦合层的组合为特定功能提供最佳性能，如不可区分的单光子源、量子频率转换和量子存储。该平台提供了每种材料的最佳特性，从而实现了高性能、完全集成的量子光子芯片，并将其应用于量子通信演示。第一层由氮化硅组成，它很容易通过化学气相沉积而沉积，并且在任何集成的光子材料中表现出最低的传播损耗。第二层由晶硅组成，它主要是为芯片上的量子光学设备以及光电设备(如电光调制器)提供服务的硅电子设备而保留的。第三层是氢化非晶硅，它是所有集成光子材料中具有最高非线性的。最后一层将预留给非互补金属氧化物半导体材料，如用于上转换光子探测和非线性光学贝尔态测量的铌酸锂。最终，这些组件将被组合在一起，实现一个全集成的量子光子芯片，该芯片将用于量子通信光纤试验台。

Quantum information science offers the possibility of creating new tools to develop a perfectly secure communication network. The past decade has seen numerous promising proof-of-principle demonstrations of components for quantum networks based on light using a variety of platforms including bulk materials, optical fibers, and more recently, photonic chips. To satisfy the scaling, robustness, and cost requirements necessary to enable pervasive implementation of quantum information technology, a platform compatible with silicon electronics is essential. However, it is becoming clear from current advances in chip-based photonic technology that no single material will be able to provide all the functionalities necessary to build a full scale quantum network. The approach proposed here to realize this vision of a fully integrated, practical, robust, and scalable quantum network is a novel three-dimensional heterogeneous photonic platform in which each material layer or a combination of coupled layers offers optimal performance for a specific functionality, such as controllably producing single-photons or storing information contained by the photons. Realization of this platform would provide the optimal characteristics from each material to achieve a high performance, fully integrated quantum photonic chip and to apply it to a quantum communication demonstration. In addition, the team will pursue broader impact efforts that include outreach to underrepresented groups through the Johns Hopkins University Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Achievement in the Baltimore Elementary Schools program, deliver lectures and lab demos at the Fair Haven Middle School bilingual science class in New Haven, and mentor freshman underrepresented Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics students through the Stevens Technical Enrichment Program.The past decade has seen numerous promising photonic devices for quantum information in various platforms including bulk geometries, optical fibers, and more recently, photonic chips. To satisfy the scaling, robustness, and cost requirements necessary to enable pervasive implementation of quantum communication technology, a silicon-compatible platform is essential. Nevertheless, it is becoming clear from current advances in chip-based photonic technology that no single material will be able to provide all the functionalities necessary to build a full scale quantum network. To realize this vision a novel three-dimensional heterogeneous photonic platform is proposed in which each material layer or a combination of coupled layers offers optimal performance for a specific functionality such as indistinguishable single-photon sources, quantum frequency conversion, and quantum storage. This platform provides the optimal characteristics from each material that will allow the realization of a high performance, fully integrated quantum photonic chip and its application to a quantum communication demonstration. The first layer consists of silicon-nitride, which is readily deposited via chemical vapor deposition and exhibits the lowest propagation losses of any integrated photonic material. The second layer consists of a crystalline silicon that is reserved primarily for the silicon electronics that serve the quantum optical devices on the chip as well as opto-electronic devices such as electro-optic modulators. The third layer is hydrogenated amorphous silicon, which has the highest nonlinearity of any integrated photonic material. The last layer will be reserved for non-complimentary-metal-oxide semiconductor materials such as lithium niobate for upconversion photon detection and nonlinear optical Bell-state measurements. Ultimately, these components will be combined to realize a fully integrated quantum photonic chip that will be used in a quantum communication fiber testbed.