CAREER: Quantum Light-Matter Interfaces Based on Rare-Earth Ions and Nanophotonics

标题：基于稀土掺杂晶体和纳米光子学的量子光物质接口用于光子量子态的芯片存储和检索非技术描述：我们社会使用的信息在计算机微处理器中使用电信号进行处理，并使用光纤网络中传输的光信号进行远距离传输，光纤网络构成了互联网的主干。这些技术的性能正在达到根本极限，因此量子机有望推动下一次技术革命。这些机器通过操纵原子和光子的最基本属性，即它们的量子态来处理信息。应用包括互联网上的绝对安全通信，快速解决药物发现中蛋白质折叠等问题的能力，以及具有极端性能的新材料的量子模拟。类似于目前的互联网，光量子网络将被用来互连量子机。量子网络由光子传播的光学通道和使用量子光-物质界面产生、存储和处理光子的节点组成。这项研究的目标是开发用于存储光子及其量子态的芯片上光-物质接口。根据应用程序的不同，该接口可以充当存储器，在其中量子态可以被恢复到光子中，或者状态可以被传输到另一个量子设备。这些界面将使用掺杂稀土原子的固态晶体来实现，稀土原子是以其出色的光子存储能力而闻名的材料。来自半导体行业的成熟加工技术将被用来直接在晶体芯片中制造光-物质界面，从而产生可扩展的平台。这项拟议的研究处于量子科学和量子工程之间的过渡阶段。因此，这个项目提供了一个理想的机会，让公众了解这种正在发生的转变，在这种转变中，为基础量子科学开发的多种技术正在量子计算、通信和传感中找到应用。为了接触到广泛的受众，首席研究员和他的团队成员将撰写文章并制作教育视频，这些视频将发布在科学博客上。为了增加科学和工程方面的多样性，研究小组将与纳瓦霍民族美国印第安人保留地的一所高中一起参与一项外联计划。技术说明：量子光-物质接口将光子的量子态可逆地映射到原子的量子态，是量子工程工具箱中的重要组件，应用于量子通信、计算和量子传感。这项研究的目标是开发基于在稀土掺杂晶体中制造的纳米光子谐振器的片上量子光-物质接口，这些谐振器在固态中表现出一些已知的最长的光学和自旋相干时间。具有高品质因数的纳米光学谐振器的作用是增强单个光子与稀土离子小系综的相互作用，从而使适合大规模集成的紧凑器件成为可能。这种实验方法融合了稀土掺杂晶体(掺钕正硅酸钇)的新纳米制造技术、高分辨率激光光谱和原子量子态的相干控制。作为这项研究的结果，将评估开发基于稀土掺杂晶体的集成纳米光子量子器件的可行性。将研究嵌入在纳米尺度环境中的稀土离子的光学相干性、光谱稳定性和自旋相干性，并将开发在片上光子网络中对其量子态进行相干控制的技术。这一职业奖项由电子、通信和网络系统(ECCS)的电子、光子学和磁性设备(EPMD)计划、材料研究(DMR)的电子和光子材料(EPM)计划以及物理系(PHY)的量子信息科学(QIS)计划联合资助。

Title: Quantum Light-Matter Interfaces Based on Rare-earth-doped Crystals and Nanophotonics for On-chip Storage and Retrieval of Photonic Quantum StatesNon-Technical Description: Information utilized by our society is processed using electrical signals in computer microprocessors, and transmitted long distances using optical signals travelling in fiber networks that form the backbone of the Internet. The performance of these technologies is reaching fundamental limits, so quantum machines are expected to drive the next technological revolution. These machines process information by manipulating the most fundamental properties of atoms and photons, their quantum states. Applications include absolutely secure communications over the Internet, the capability to quickly solve problems like protein folding for drug discovery, and quantum simulation of new materials with extreme properties. Analogous to the current Internet, optical quantum networks will be used to interconnect quantum machines. Quantum networks consist of optical channels where photons travel and nodes where photons are generated, stored and processed using quantum light-matter interfaces. The goal of this research is to develop on-chip light-matter interfaces for storing photons and their quantum states. Depending on the application, the interface could act as a memory where the quantum state is retrieved back into a photon, or the state could be transferred to another quantum device. The interfaces will be implemented using solid-state crystals doped with rare-earth atoms, materials known for their excellent photon storage capability. Established processing techniques from the semiconductor industry will be used to fabricate the light-matter interfaces directly in crystalline chips, thus leading to a scalable platform. The proposed research is situated at the transition between quantum science and quantum engineering. Thus, this project provides an ideal opportunity to educate the general public about this transition, which is happening now, where multiple technologies developed for fundamental quantum science are finding applications in quantum computing, communications and sensing. To reach a broad audience, the principal investigator and members of his group will write articles and develop educational videos that will be posted on scientific blogs. To increase diversity in science and engineering, the research group will be involved in an outreach program with a high school on the Navajo Nation US Indian reservation.Technical description: Quantum light-matter interfaces that reversibly map the quantum state of photons onto the quantum states of atoms, are essential components in the quantum engineering toolbox with applications in quantum communication, computing, and quantum-enabled sensing. The goal of this research is to develop on-chip quantum light-matter interfaces based on nanophotonic resonators fabricated in rare-earth-doped crystals known to exhibit some of the longest optical and spin coherence times in the solid state. The role of nano-scale optical resonators with high quality factors is to enhance the interaction of single photons with small ensembles of rare-earth ions thus enabling compact devices suitable for large-scale integration. The experimental approach merges new nano-fabrication techniques for rare-earth-doped crystals (neodymium doped yttrium orthosilicate), high-resolution laser spectroscopy, and coherent control of atomic quantum states. As a result of this research, the feasibility of developing integrated nanophotonic quantum devices based on rare-earth-doped crystals will be assessed. The optical coherence, the spectral stability and the spin coherence of rare-earth ions embedded in a nano-scale environment will be studied, and techniques for coherent control of their quantum states in on-chip photonic networks will be developed. Optical quantum memories with the smallest footprint to date and their on-chip integration will be demonstrated.This CAREER award is jointly funded by the Electronics, Photonics, and Magnetic Devices (EPMD) Program in the Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS), the Electronic and Photonic Materials (EPM) Program in the Division of Materials Research (DMR), and the Quantum Information Science (QIS) Program in the Division of Physics (PHY).