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

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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.