Demonstrating coherent optomechanical control of spin quantum memory

展示自旋量子存储器的相干光机械控制

• 批准号: RTI-2021-00659
• 负责人: Barclay, Paul
• 金额: $ 5.99万
• 依托单位: University of Calgary
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=718865
• 关键词: Demonstrating; coherent; optomechanical; control; spin

Optomechanical devices couple light to mechanical objects through optical radiation pressure: the force exerted on an interface by photons scattering off it. When implemented at the nanoscale, these devices enable coherent optical driving of mechanical motion. This motion can in turn be coupled to a wide range of physical systems, including those that do not otherwise interact with light, allowing optomechanical devices to control such optically “dark” systems. The equipment described in this request is urgently needed for world leading experiments of this nature: using optomechanics to interface light with electron spins. These spins excel as quantum memories needed for quantum networks, but they do not connect to telecommunication wavelength photons best suited for these networks. By harnessing the ability of mechanical objects to couple to both light and spin systems, optomechanical devices can solve this problem. The requested funding for equipment complements NSERC Discovery, CREATE and Strategic Partnership grants awarded to the Barclay lab to support HQP working in the area of quantum spin-optomechanics, and is critically needed for HQP to finish demonstrating the first optomechanical spin-photon interface. The Barclay lab has established itself as the world leader in fabricating optomechanical devices from diamond. Using a nanofabrication process invented by lab HQP and adopted by research groups at institutions such as Stanford and MIT, lab HQP have created diamond optomechanical devices whose mechanical motion can be exquisitely controlled with light, leading to awards and high impact publications. HQP are now attempting to use this powerful optomechanical control to interface telecommunication wavelength light with quantum memories formed by the electron spin of diamond nitrogen vacancy centre defects. HQP have recently made the world's first proof-of-principle measurements demonstrating this long sought-after interface. However, recent equipment failures, as well as technical problems with the apparatus, have prevented the completion of this milestone experiment. The requested equipment will address these barriers by making necessary repairs and equipment upgrades; without it this first demonstration cannot be completed. Realising this interface will establish Canada as the world leader in spin-optomechanical systems. This project is being conducted in close competition with several formidable international research groups. Any delay in acquiring the equipment will cause the Barclay lab's current advantage to be lost and allow other researchers (e.g. at UCSB and Harvard) to catch up. This will severely diminish the impact of the work and negatively affect HQP outcomes. This equipment will be immediately used by approximately 10 HQP, with another 10 projected to benefit from it over the next five years, all of whom work in an inclusive and supportive environment that strives to reduce existing inequities in physics research.

光机械设备通过光辐射压力将光耦合到机械物体上：光辐射压力是光子散射到界面上施加在界面上的力。当在纳米级实现时，这些设备可以实现机械运动的相干光驱动。这种运动又可以耦合到广泛的物理系统，包括那些不与光相互作用的系统，从而允许光学机械设备控制这种光学“暗”系统。该请求中描述的设备迫切需要世界领先的这种性质的实验：使用光学力学将光与电子自旋相结合。这些自旋擅长作为量子网络所需的量子存储器，但它们并不连接到最适合这些网络的电信波长光子。通过利用机械物体耦合到光和自旋系统的能力，光学机械设备可以解决这个问题。所要求的设备资金补充了授予巴克莱实验室的NSERC发现，创建和战略合作伙伴关系赠款，以支持HQP在量子自旋光力学领域的工作，并且HQP完成演示第一个光机自旋光子接口至关重要。 巴克莱实验室已经确立了自己作为世界领先的制造光学机械设备的钻石。使用实验室HQP发明的纳米纤维工艺，并被斯坦福大学和麻省理工学院等机构的研究小组采用，实验室HQP创造了金刚石光学机械设备，其机械运动可以用光精确控制，从而获得奖项和高影响力的出版物。HQP现在正试图利用这种强大的光学机械控制，将电信波长的光与由金刚石氮空位中心缺陷的电子自旋形成的量子存储器连接起来。HQP最近进行了世界上第一次原理验证测量，展示了这种长期以来备受追捧的接口。然而，最近的设备故障以及仪器的技术问题阻止了这一里程碑式实验的完成。 所要求的设备将通过进行必要的维修和设备升级来克服这些障碍;没有这些设备，第一次演示就无法完成。实现这一接口将使加拿大成为自旋光学机械系统的世界领导者。这个项目是在与几个强大的国际研究小组的激烈竞争中进行的。在获得设备方面的任何延误都将导致巴克莱实验室目前的优势丧失，并让其他研究人员（例如UCSB和哈佛的研究人员）迎头赶上。这将严重削弱工作的影响力，并对HQP结果产生负面影响。这些设备将立即由大约10名HQP使用，预计在未来五年内将有另外10名HQP从中受益，他们都在一个包容和支持的环境中工作，努力减少物理研究中现有的不平等现象。