Addressing quantum eigenstates in integrated photonic structures

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Quantum information science, a field that has emerged over the past several decades, addresses the question of whether harnessing quantum mechanical effects through storing, processing and transmitting information encoded in inherently quantum mechanical systems can lead to new phenomena, functionalities, and devices. Quantum information is both fundamental science and a progenitor for new technologies. Photonic quantum systems provide many advantages, reaching from low levels of decoherence to precise single-particle quantum control and being mobile. Unfortunately, quantum photonic experiments built with such bulk optics are limited by their space requirements. Integrated optics manufactured from monolithic blocks of material circumvents this.The aim of our proposal is to promote the understanding and control of waveguide architectures for coherent information transfer with the vision to establish a basis for new, quantum information processing applications. In particular, our research will address (1) Eigenstate formation and transmission in periodically driven lattice systems, (2) Tailored input state projection on system eigenstates, and (3) Transport studies of multi-photon states in lossy integrated optical networks.The main goal of our proposal is therefore to propose, implement and test a new approach for quantum information transfer. We will exploit the quantum eigenstates of the on-chip waveguide structures that in principle can travel indefinitely without any distortion due to their stationary nature. Apart from revealing new and fundamental scientific knowledge, which is based on our sophisticated approach of combining quantum state manipulation and optical integrated circuitry, our results will have immediate technological significance. We will combine the experimental work with theoretical analysis, in order to explain our results thoroughly and optimize device performance.