MetaQuantum: Hybrid Plasmonic-Photonic Meta-Structures for Quantum Information Systems

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Photons, which are quantum particles of light, are one of the most promising platforms for the emerging quantum information science and technology (QIST) applications including quantum communication, computing and sensing. As photons travel long distances without inference and at the ultimate speed, the field of quantum photonics seeks to enable quantum devices for QIST using photons. The goal of this project is to produce quantum photonic structures and devices that can be integrated on a chip for future applications in quantum computing and communication links. As part of the effort, we will address several challenges, such as the fact that quantum states are hard to preserve, particularly at room temperatures, and that quantum systems can be limited in speed due to photons loss, that is absorption. We aim to overcome these limitations by developing meta-devices, which are nanoscale structures utilizing metallic thin films and so-called plasmonic nanoparticles that can uniquely enhance emission from quantum light sources. We will also explore the realization of hybrid devices that incorporate both meta-structures and conventional optical components. We will employ machine learning algorithms to aid in advance structure designs and quantum measurements. Due to unique properties of photons as quantum information carriers, namely weak interaction with matter and propagation at the speed of light, quantum photonics has emerged as one of the most promising enabling approaches for quantum information science and technology (QIST) platforms. The goal of the project is to overcome fundamental limitations that conventional quantum nanophotonic structures are facing, which include slow operation, optical loss, and fast decoherence rates in matter at room temperature. This effort will address the critical need to develop efficient, low loss, ultra-fast (THz rates) and compact on-chip quantum photonic devices by investigating both theoretically and experimentally strongly enhanced, highly controllable light-matter interactions in the quantum regime in nanometer-scale plasmonic (metal-based) structures and metamaterials. This project will merge nanoplasmonics with artificial-intelligence (AI) to realize hybrid plasmonic-photonic meta-structures for room-temperature quantum systems that can operate at THz speeds and offer a small footprint and unprecedented functionality. The program objectives are to create a fundamentally new framework for realization of advanced photonic QIST components via (1) theoretical studies of quantum emitters coupled to plasmonic meta-structures; (2) demonstration of plasmonic speed-up of quantum processes and exploration of hybrid meta-structures, including single-photon sources, deterministic multi-photon gates and quantum frequency converters; and (3) development of AI-assisted design, integration and characterization of quantum devices. This program will advance the emerging QIST technologies and expected to generate a significant industry interest in the fields of quantum information and quantum sensors.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.