QII-TAQS: Strongly Interacting Photons in Coupled Cavity Arrays: A Platform for Quantum Many-Body Simulation

量子技术可以彻底改变现代社会，从实现极快的计算和超安全的通信，到解锁新材料，如高温超导体，可以改变日常交通、医学成像和电力输送。在努力实现这些技术的许多物理系统中，光提供了一个显著的优势。它很容易控制和检测称为光子的单量子光。不幸的是，光子之间不容易相互作用，这对量子光子技术的发展构成了严重的瓶颈。此外，与电子学不同的是，光学系统往往更大，因此在可扩展性方面存在重大限制。该项目旨在设计量子光子集成电路来应对这些挑战。精心设计的集成光子结构，也被称为谐振器，可以在微观体积中存储光很长时间。将纳米粒子与这些谐振器集成在一起，可以在光和纳米粒子之间产生强烈的相互作用，从而调节光子之间的相互作用。此外，这种集成允许大幅缩小尺寸，使数百个谐振器能够在一个平方毫米的芯片上制造。通过诱使单个光子在一系列谐振器中相互作用，可以实现一个可以处理量子信息的量子网络。该项目旨在为量子技术开发一个独一无二的平台，可能有助于科学家更好地了解高温超导等效应。此外，该项目旨在改善对本科生和高中生的培训和教育，重点是让妇女和少数群体参与量子技术的科学研究。对于许多量子技术来说，可伸缩性仍然是一个令人望而生畏的问题。不幸的是，用单个原子和固态缺陷组装节点阵列几乎是不可能的，尽管它们对基础量子科学做出了重大贡献，但不可扩展。因此，量子模拟领域将从一个新的、颠覆性的实验平台中受益匪浅。为此，该项目旨在将溶液处理量子点和纳米光子谐振器阵列这两个新兴领域结合起来，以产生可扩展的多节点量子系统。纳米光子谐振器可以通过光的空间和时间限制来增强光与物质的相互作用。通过确定地将单个溶液处理的量子点与这样的谐振器集成，可以实现光子之间的强排斥相互作用。这种相互作用对于模拟电子在真实材料和其他强关联量子多体系统中的复杂行为是必要的。耦合几个这样的量子非线性谐振器是设计不同量子系统的哈密顿量的全光学模拟的关键，这对于当今任何经典计算机来说都是很难处理的。结合建模和模拟、新的合成化学和光学表征，本项目将进行三个研究推进：(I)使用线性谐振器阵列模拟量子哈密顿量；(Ii)展示每个谐振器中的单光子非线性；(Iii)使用相互作用的光子进行非平衡量子模拟。这项研究建立在三名研究人员之前在溶液处理量子材料、纳米光子谐振器的设计和制造、腔量子电动力学和量子模拟方面的工作基础上。该项目由量子飞跃大创意计划、数学和物理科学局的化学部和工程部的电气、通信和网络系统部联合资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Quantum technologies can revolutionize modern society, from enabling extremely fast computation and ultra-secure communication to unlocking new materials, such as high-temperature superconductors, that can transform day-to-day transportation, medical imaging, and electrical power delivery. Among many physical systems that strive to implement these technologies, light provides a significant advantage. It is easy to control and detect the single quanta of light called photons. Unfortunately, photons do not readily interact with each other, which poses a serious bottleneck for developing quantum photonic technologies. Moreover, unlike electronics, optical systems tend to be bulkier, and thus present significant limitations on scalability. This project aims to design quantum photonic integrated circuits that address these challenges. Carefully-engineered integrated photonic structures, also known as resonators, can store light in a microscopic volume for a long time. Integrating nanoparticles with these resonators can lead to a strong interaction between the light and nanoparticles, which subsequently mediates interaction between photons. Moreover, such integration allows a large size reduction, enabling hundreds of resonators to be made on a single square-millimeter chip. By coaxing individual photons to interact with one other within an array of resonators, a quantum network can be realized that can process quantum information. This project aims to develop a one-of-a-kind platform for quantum technologies that can potentially help scientists better understand effects like high-temperature superconductivity. Furthermore, the project aims to improve the training and education of undergraduate and high school students, with a strong emphasis on including women and minority communities, in scientific research in quantum technologies. Scalability remains a daunting problem for many quantum technologies. Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to assemble node arrays with single atoms and solid-state defects, which, despite their significant contributions to fundamental quantum science, are not scalable. The field of quantum simulations thus stands to benefit enormously from a new, disruptive experimental platform. To that end, this project aims to marry two emerging fields, namely, solution-processed quantum dots and nanophotonic resonator arrays, to produce a scalable, multi-node quantum system. Nanophotonic resonators can enhance light-matter interaction via the spatial and temporal confinement of light. By deterministically integrating a single solution-processed quantum dot with such a resonator, strong repulsive interactions between photons can be realized. This interaction is necessary for simulating the complicated behavior of electrons in real materials and other strongly correlated quantum many-body systems. Coupling several of such quantum nonlinear resonators is key to engineering all-optical analogs of Hamiltonians of different quantum systems, which are intractable with any classical computer today. Combining modeling and simulation, new synthetic chemistry, and optical characterization, three research thrusts will be pursued under this project: (i) Simulate quantum Hamiltonians using a linear resonator array; (ii) Demonstrate single photon nonlinearity in each resonator; (iii) Perform non-equilibrium quantum simulations with interacting photons. The research builds upon the three investigators' prior work on solution processed quantum materials, design and fabrication of nanophotonic resonators, cavity quantum electrodynamics, and quantum simulations.This project is jointly funded by Quantum Leap Big Idea Program, the Division of Chemistry in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate, and the Division of Electrical, Communications, and Cyber Systems in the Engineering Directorate.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.