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

量子技术可以彻底改变现代社会，从实现极快的计算和超安全的通信到解锁新材料，如高温超导体，可以改变日常运输，医疗成像和电力输送。在努力实现这些技术的许多物理系统中，光提供了显着的优势。很容易控制和检测被称为光子的光的单个量子。不幸的是，光子不容易相互作用，这对发展量子光子技术构成了严重的瓶颈。此外，与电子器件不同，光学系统往往体积较大，因此对可扩展性存在显著限制。该项目旨在设计解决这些挑战的量子光子集成电路。精心设计的集成光子结构，也称为谐振器，可以在微观体积中长时间存储光。将纳米颗粒与这些谐振器集成可以导致光和纳米颗粒之间的强烈相互作用，随后介导光子之间的相互作用。此外，这种集成允许大的尺寸减小，使得数百个谐振器能够在单个平方毫米的芯片上制造。通过诱导单个光子在谐振器阵列内相互作用，可以实现可以处理量子信息的量子网络。该项目旨在为量子技术开发一个独一无二的平台，可以帮助科学家更好地理解高温超导等效应。此外，该项目旨在改善本科生和高中生的培训和教育，特别强调将妇女和少数民族社区纳入量子技术的科学研究。 对于许多量子技术来说，可扩展性仍然是一个令人生畏的问题。不幸的是，几乎不可能用单个原子和固态缺陷组装节点阵列，尽管它们对基础量子科学做出了重大贡献，但它们是不可扩展的。因此，量子模拟领域将从一个新的、颠覆性的实验平台中受益匪浅。为此，该项目旨在结合两个新兴领域，即溶液处理量子点和纳米光子谐振器阵列，以产生可扩展的多节点量子系统。纳米光子共振器可以通过光的空间和时间限制来增强光与物质的相互作用。通过确定性地将单个溶液处理的量子点与这样的谐振器集成，可以实现光子之间的强排斥相互作用。这种相互作用对于模拟电子在真实的材料和其他强关联量子多体系统中的复杂行为是必要的。耦合几个这样的量子非线性谐振器是工程不同量子系统的哈密顿量的全光学模拟的关键，这是当今任何经典计算机都难以处理的。结合建模和模拟、新的合成化学和光学表征，该项目将追求三个研究方向：（i）使用线性谐振器阵列模拟量子哈密顿量;（ii）演示每个谐振器中的单光子非线性;（iii）利用相互作用的光子进行非平衡量子模拟。该研究建立在三位研究人员先前在溶液处理量子材料，纳米光子谐振器的设计和制造，腔量子电动力学和量子模拟方面的工作基础上。该项目由量子飞跃大创意计划，数学和物理科学理事会化学部以及电气，通信，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.