EFRI ACQUIRE: A chip-scale high-dimensional entanglement and quantum memory module for secure communications

用于保密通信的芯片规模高维纠缠和量子存储模块非技术：发展由量子物理定律保证安全的量子通信是非经典信息处理的主要好处之一。使用以单光子量子态编码的通信比特，称为量子比特，该项目将提高量子通信信道的带宽和可靠性。利用光子量子比特推进量子通信技术是一个前沿研究课题，因为尽管这些量子比特提供了安全性，但目前的量子通信技术存在一些局限性。例如，安全密钥分发速率(类似于每秒的量子比特数)和通信距离都可以提高。这些工作参数目前在50公里左右的距离下约为1Mb/S，因此它们的速率-距离积比目前经典的光纤网络通信速率和距离低许多个数量级。该团队试图通过一种变革性的多管齐下的方法来解决这个问题：(1)使用时频自由度对每个光子编码更多比特；(2)开发芯片级光子量子比特源，以实现更高的速率、更高的稳定性和更容易的部署；(3)开发芯片级光子量子比特存储和释放模块，用于更远距离的非经典通信；以及(4)针对数量级更高的安全密钥速率的根本新协议和架构。这种多管齐下的方法得到了该团队在这些领域的最新领先进展的支持，并与他们在芯片规模非经典光学方面的教学培训和教育推广相匹配。他们的培训重点是女性和少数族裔研究生。他们的工作跨越了材料科学、纳米制造和硅光子学、量子测量和量子信息理论等领域。技术：量子纠缠是安全信息处理和通信的基础资源，光子超纠缠或高维纠缠因其高数据容量和错误恢复能力而在这方面被特别引用。时间-频率纠缠的连续变量性质使其成为具有最小限制的高效高维编码的理想候选者。通过将高维纠缠存储在量子存储器中，可以扩大纠缠分布的范围，用于长距离量子通信。虽然在高维纠缠和长期量子记忆的来源方面已经取得了重大进展，但在匹配这些组件的频率和带宽、将它们集成到芯片上、室温操作以及开发如何有效利用它们的理论框架方面仍然存在重大挑战。智能的意义在于解决这些挑战，并展示一个可扩展的横切平台，走向芯片使能的牢不可破的通信网络。该项目有三个相互关联的主题推进。在推力1中，团队的方法和方法将开发用于量子通信的芯片上双光子频率梳源和辅助设备，例如用于双光子产生和单光子频率转换的集成Nb酸锂、用于创建梳子的微谐振器结构、电抽运模块以及用于安全检查的Franson和共轭Franson干涉仪。这些设备在频率和带宽上与推力2中的设备相匹配，在推力2中，该团队将开发固态稀土量子存储器，用于存储高维双光子频率梳，并通过声子带隙和激光制冷进行室温操作。在推力3中，该团队将为新的量子密钥分发协议开发安全分析，这些协议充分利用芯片规模的双光子频率梳的潜力，并在全链路性能测试台中进行验证。Struts III还研究了量子中继器结构中的存储器，用于在量子网络中分配纠缠，从而扩展了高密钥速率量子通信的范围。拟议的科学进步直接与多学科教育和对纳米级量子信息科学中代表性不足的科学家和工程师进行教学培训相结合。PI的跨学科培训跨越了电气工程、材料科学、信息理论和物理的界限，以推进基于纳米芯片的量子通信前沿。

A chip-scale high-dimensional entanglement and quantum memory module for secure communicationsNon-technical: The development of quantum communication with security guaranteed by the laws of quantum physics is one of the major benefits of nonclassical information processing. Using communication bits encoded in quantum states of single photons, called qubits, this project will improve the bandwidth and reliability of quantum communication channels. Advancing the art of quantum communication with photonic qubits is a frontier research topic because although these qubits provide security, the current technology for quantum communication has some limitations. For example, the secure-key distribution rate (akin to the number of qubits per second) and the communication distance can both be improved. These operating parameters are currently around 1 Mb/s for distances around 50 km, hence their rate-distance product is many orders-of-magnitude lower than current classical fiber network communication rates and distances. The team seeks to address this problem via a transformative multi-pronged approach: (1) encoding more bits per photon by using the time-frequency degree-of-freedom; (2) developing a chip-scale photon qubit source for higher rates, higher stability, and easier deployment; (3) developing a chip-scale photon qubit storage and release module for longer distance nonclassical communications; and (4) fundamentally new protocols and architectures for orders-of-magnitude higher secure-key rates. This multi-pronged approach is supported by the team's recent leading advances in these areas, and matched with their pedagogical training and education outreach in chip-scale nonclassical optics. They have an emphasis on women and minority graduate students in their training. Their effort spans the fields of material science, nanofabrication and silicon photonics, quantum measurements, and quantum information theory. Technical: Quantum entanglement is a fundamental resource for secure information processing and communications, and photonic hyperentanglement or high-dimensional entanglement has been specifically cited in this regard for its high data capacity and error resilience. The continuous-variable nature of time¡Vfrequency entanglement makes it an ideal candidate for efficient high-dimensional coding with minimal limitations. By storing high-dimensional entanglement in quantum memories, the range of entanglement distribution can be extended for long distance quantum communications. While significant progress has been made towards sources of high-dimensional entanglement and long-term quantum memories, major challenges remain in matching the frequencies and bandwidths of these components, integrating them on-chip, room-temperature operation, and developing the theoretical framework for how they can be exploited efficiently. The intellectual significance is to address these challenges and demonstrate a scalable cross-cutting platform towards chip-enabled unbreakable communication networks. The project has three interrelated thematic Thrusts. In Thrust 1, the team methods and approaches will develop on-chip biphoton frequency comb sources and auxiliary devices for quantum communication such as integrated lithium niobate for biphoton production and single-photon frequency conversion, microresonator structures for comb creation, electrically-pumped module, and Franson and conjugate Franson interferometers for security checks. These devices are matched in frequency and bandwidth with the ones in Thrust 2, where the team will develop solid-state rare-earth quantum memories for storage of the high-dimensional biphoton frequency comb, and room-temperature operation via phononic bandgaps and laser refrigeration. In Thrust 3, the team will develop security analyses for new quantum key distribution protocols that exploit the full potential of chip-scale biphoton frequency combs, verified in a full link performance testbed. Thrust III also examines the memories in quantum repeater architectures for distributing entanglement in quantum networks, thus extending the range of high secret-key rate quantum communication. The proposed scientific advances are coupled directly to multidisciplinary education and pedagogical training of underrepresented scientists and engineers in nanoscale quantum information sciences. The PI's interdisciplinary training crosses boundaries in electrical engineering, materials science, information theory and physics, to advance the nanoscale chip-based frontiers of quantum communications.