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。 在过去的十年中，我们看到了许多基于光的量子网络组件的原理验证，这些组件使用了各种平台，包括散装材料，光纤和最近的光子芯片。为了满足量子信息技术普遍实施所需的可扩展性、鲁棒性和成本要求，与硅电子器件兼容的平台至关重要。 然而，从目前基于芯片的光子技术的进展来看，没有一种材料能够提供构建全尺寸量子网络所需的所有功能。 这里提出的实现完全集成的，实用的，鲁棒的和可扩展的量子网络的愿景的方法是一种新型的三维异构光子平台，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所包含的信息。 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，该团队将寻求更广泛的影响力，包括通过约翰霍普金斯大学科学技术，工程和数学成就在巴尔的摩小学计划，提供讲座和实验室演示代表性不足的群体在纽黑文的公平港中学双语科学类，并指导新生代表性不足的科学技术，在过去的十年里，我们已经看到了许多有前途的光子器件在各种平台上的量子信息，包括散装几何，光纤，以及最近的光子芯片。为了满足普及量子通信技术所需的可扩展性、鲁棒性和成本要求，硅兼容平台至关重要。 然而，从目前基于芯片的光子技术的进展来看，没有一种材料能够提供构建全尺寸量子网络所需的所有功能。 为了实现这一愿景，提出了一种新型的三维异构光子平台，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，例如难以区分的单光子源、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，这将允许实现高性能，完全集成的量子光子芯片及其在量子通信演示中的应用。第一层由氮化硅组成，其易于通过化学气相沉积来沉积，并且表现出任何集成光子材料的最低传播损耗。第二层由晶体硅组成，主要用于为芯片上的量子光学器件以及光电器件（如电光调制器）提供服务的硅电子器件。第三层是氢化非晶硅，它具有任何集成光子材料中最高的非线性。最后一层将保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锂离子电池。 最终，这些组件将结合起来，实现一个完全集成的量子光子芯片，用于量子通信光纤测试平台。

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.