CAREER: AlGaAs-on-Insulator Integrated Quantum Photonics

量子计算承诺在各个方面改变社会，从快速发现新药和疫苗到提高供应链效率，实时优化运输和导航，以及安全存储和传输个人信息。虽然量子计算机的物理实现有几个竞争者，但集成光子学具有优势，原因有几个，包括室温操作、设备可伸缩性和使用光的远距离连接。尽管集成量子光子学在过去十年中取得了显著的进步，但现有的光子材料和器件存在缺陷和劣势，阻碍了规模和效率的进一步提高。该提议通过开发一种基于绝缘体上的AlGaAs的新的量子光子平台来解决这些挑战，该平台具有可取的特性，可用于芯片级的用光进行量子信息处理，包括可直接与超亮量子光源集成的超低损耗组件。通过集成驱动的发现，绝缘体上AlGaAs量子光子器件的研究和开发将促进我们对量子信息编码、处理、存储和传输的基本极限的理解。与我们的研究目标交织在一起的是一种全方位的方法，为从K-8学习者及其家庭到高中、本科生和研究生的多样化和充满活力的量子准备劳动力开发新的途径。PI和他的团队将建立几个新的外联活动和培训计划，包括：一个远程访问的量子教学实验室，将提供给在UCSB和圣巴巴拉城市学院(SBCC)注册的学生；SBCC学生队列的暑期研究实习；周六的短期课程系列，让来自代表性不足社区的地区高中生在校园内与媒体艺术和技术进行互动的量子学习体验；技术说明：这项计划致力于开发绝缘体上集成的AlGaAs型量子光子器件，这一器件尚未被探索用于量子信息科学和应用，但它具有芯片级量子计算所需的特性，包括超低波导损耗、大的二阶和三阶光学非线性、高折射率对比度和严格的模式限制、可忽略的双光子吸收、超亮纠缠对光源以及有源组件的直接集成。为了将AlGaAs绝缘体打造成用于基于测量的量子计算和量子通信的超高效、高速量子光子平台，Pi和他的团队将开发可编程量子光子电路的基本组件，包括低损耗和高性能的纠缠和压缩光源、滤光器、干涉仪、调制器、脉冲整形器、芯片到光纤耦合器和集成单光子探测器。该计划利用了PI在集成光子学和量子光学方面的专业知识、他实验室的先进量子光子测试能力，以及UCSB最先进的洁净室和纳米制造设施。PI和他的团队将开发用于离散和连续变量量子信息处理的容错方案和架构，这可能使处理速度和功率效率与现有方法相比提高数量级。绝缘体上的AlGaAs量子器件将解决与现有光子平台之间的明显技术差距，填补关键需求领域对可扩展、可重新配置和高能效量子技术的长期需求。该平台最吸引人的特点--室温运行、全芯片集成路径、固有的稳定性和可扩展性，以及大的光学非线性和电信波长的低损耗--还将催生高速互连、量子光子收发器和中继器的创新技术，以满足全球对高带宽光纤和卫星通信网络日益增长的需求。这些技术进步将扩大我国在快速发展和增长的量子和经典信息领域的全球竞争力。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Quantum computing promises to transform society in all aspects, from the rapid discovery of new drugs and vaccines to improving supply chain efficiency, real-time optimization of transportation and navigation, and the secure storage and transmission of personal information. While there are several contenders for the physical implementation of quantum computers, integrated photonics is advantageous for several reasons, including room temperature operation, device scalability, and long-distance connectivity using light. Despite the remarkable advances in integrated quantum photonics within the last decade, existing photonic materials and devices have drawbacks and disadvantages that inhibit further improvement in scaling and efficiency. This proposal addresses these challenges through the development of a new quantum photonic platform based on AlGaAs-on-insulator, which has desirable properties for chip-scale quantum information processing with light, including ultra-low loss components that can be directly integrated with ultra-bright quantum light sources. Through integration-driven discovery, research and development of AlGaAs-on-insulator quantum photonic devices will advance our understanding of the fundamental limits within which we can encode, process, store, and transmit quantum information. Interwoven with our research goals is a full-spectrum approach to developing new pathways for a diverse and vibrant quantum-ready workforce that spans K-8 learners and their families to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. The PI and his team will establish several new outreach activities and training programs, including: a remotely accessible quantum teaching lab, which will be offered to students enrolled at UCSB and Santa Barbara City College (SBCC); a summer research internship for the cohort of students at SBCC; a short-course Saturday series to bring regional high-school students from under-represented communities on campus for an interactive quantum learning experience with media arts and technology; and a new outreach program for K-8 students and their families to learn about quantum science and engineering.Technical Description: This proposal addresses the development of AlGaAs-on-insulator integrated quantum photonic devices, which has not yet been explored for quantum information science and applications, yet it has desirable properties for chip-scale quantum computing including ultra-low waveguide loss, large second- and third-order optical nonlinearities, high index contrast and tight modal confinement, negligible two-photon absorption, ultra-bright entangled-pair sources, and direct integration of active components. To establish AlGaAs-on-insulator into an ultra-efficient, high-speed quantum photonic platform for measurement-based quantum computing and quantum communications, the PI and his team will develop the essential components for programmable quantum photonic circuits, including low-loss and high-performance entangled- and squeezed-light sources, optical filters, interferometers, modulators, pulse shapers, chip-to-fiber couplers, and integrated single-photon detectors. This plan capitalizes on the PI’s expertise in integrated photonics and quantum optics, advanced quantum photonic testing capabilities in his lab, and the state-of-the-art clean room and nanofabrication facilities at UCSB. The PI and his team will develop fault-tolerant schemes and architectures for discrete- and continuous-variable quantum information processing, which may enable orders-of-magnitude improvement in processing speed and power efficiency compared to existing approaches. AlGaAs-on-insulator quantum devices will address glaring technology gaps with existing photonic platforms, filling a long-sought need for scalable, reconfigurable, and energy-efficient quantum technologies in areas of critical need. The most intriguing features of this platform—room-temperature operation, all-on-chip integration pathways, intrinsic stability and scalability, and the large optical nonlinearities and low loss at telecommunication wavelengths—will also lead to innovative technologies for high-speed interconnects, quantum photonic transceivers, and repeaters that are required to meet the increasing global demands for high-bandwidth fiber and satellite communication networks. Such technological advances will expand our nation’s global competitiveness in the rapidly evolving and growing quantum and classical information landscape.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.