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

用于安全通信的芯片级高维纠缠和量子存储器模块非技术性：由量子物理定律保证安全的量子通信的发展是非经典信息处理的主要好处之一。使用编码在单光子量子态中的通信比特（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。 用光子量子比特推进量子通信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有一些局限性。 例如，安全密钥分发速率（类似于每秒的量子比特数）和通信距离都可以得到改善。这些操作参数当前对于约50 km的距离为约1 Mb/s，因此它们的速率-距离乘积比当前经典光纤网络通信速率和距离低许多数量级。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）通过使用时频自由度来编码每个光子更多的比特;（2）开发一种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）开发一种芯片级光子量子比特存储和释放模块，用于更长距离的非经典通信。以及（4）用于数量级更高的安全密钥速率的基本上新的协议和体系结构。这种多管齐下的方法得到了该团队最近在这些领域的领先进展的支持，并与他们在芯片级非经典光学方面的教学培训和教育推广相匹配。他们在培训中重视妇女和少数民族研究生。他们的努力跨越了材料科学、纳米纤维和硅光子学、量子测量和量子信息理论等领域。技术支持：量子纠缠是安全信息处理和通信的基本资源，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被特别引用。时频纠缠的连续变量性质使其成为限制最小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，可以扩展纠缠分布的范围，从而实现长距离量子通信。虽然在高维纠缠源和长期量子存储器方面取得了重大进展，但主要挑战仍然存在于匹配这些组件的频率和带宽，将它们集成在芯片上，室温操作，以及开发如何有效利用它们的理论框架。其智力意义在于应对这些挑战，并展示一个可扩展的跨领域平台，以实现芯片支持的牢不可破的通信网络。该项目有三个相互关联的主题重点。在Thrust 1中，该团队的方法和方法将开发用于量子通信的片上双光子频率梳源和辅助设备，例如用于双光子生产和单光子频率转换的集成锂酸盐，用于梳创建的微谐振器结构，电泵浦模块，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Thrust 2中的设备相匹配，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Thrust 3中，该团队将为新的量子密钥分发协议开发安全分析，该协议利用芯片级双光子频率梳的全部潜力，并在全链路性能测试平台中进行验证。推力III还研究了量子中继器架构中的存储器，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纳米级量子信息科学中代表性不足的科学家和工程师的多学科教育和教学培训相结合。PI的跨学科培训跨越了电气工程，材料科学，信息理论和物理学的界限，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.