QuIC ‐ TAQS: A Photon‐Phonon Quantum Interconnect via Brillouin‐Based Optomechanics in Quartz and Superfluid

光的量子粒子（光子）用于在光量子网络中长距离传输量子信息。然而，这些网络的多功能性和性能的提高也需要在本地设备中存储和检索量子信息的能力。声子的量子化粒子是存储量子信息的有希望的候选者，但实现有效的光子-声子转换和长存储时间仍然是一个挑战。该计划通过创造新的基于芯片的技术来解决这些挑战，这些技术将世界上最好的光子腔与由超高纯度晶体和量子流体制成的新型声子谐振器相结合。利用共振增强的材料耦合来访问晶体和超流体谐振器中的长寿命声子，一种高效和可扩展的量子互连的新方法成为可能。采用基于晶圆级光子集成电路技术的混合集成策略，这项工作为可扩展的量子存储器、量子传感器和量子中继器铺平了道路。本计画的教育及外展活动也为社区学院转校生、本科生研究及国际合作提供特别的研究机会。光子被用来在量子网络中远距离传输量子信息。然而，这些网络的多功能性和性能的提高也需要从长寿命的局部量子激发中存储和检索量子信息的能力。声子是这种局部激发的有希望的候选者，但实现有效的光子-声子互连是具有挑战性的。这项研究计划通过将世界上最好的片上光学腔与由超高纯度结晶石英和超流氦制成的新型声子谐振器相结合来应对这一挑战。通过调整器件几何形状以产生强布里渊耦合，可以有效地访问这些介质中的长寿命声子模式。通过布里渊过程，入射光子散射成声子和红移光子；这些分散的粒子形成了量子纠缠对。通过结合和探测两个这样的系统产生的散射光子，存储在遥远位置的空腔中的声子就会纠缠在一起。结合快速光子-声子转换和长相干时间，许多量子操作可以在声子寿命内执行，使更复杂的操作成为可能。这些新型量子器件采用混合集成方法，利用了晶圆级光子集成电路技术的优势，为可扩展的量子存储器、量子传感器和量子中继器铺平了道路。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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 particles of light (photons) are used to transmit quantum information over long distances within an optical quantum network. However, increased versatility and performance of these networks also requires the ability to store and retrieve quantum information in local devices. Quantized particles of sound (phonons) are promising candidates for the storage of quantum information but achieving efficient photon-phonon conversion and long storage times remains challenging. This program addresses these challenges by creating new chip-based technologies that combine the world’s best photonic cavities with new phononic resonators fashioned from ultra-high purity crystals and quantum fluids. Using resonantly enhanced material couplings to access long-lived phonons within crystalline and superfluid resonators, a new approach for an efficient and scalable quantum interconnect becomes possible. Using a hybrid integration strategy that builds on wafer-scale photonic integrated circuit technologies, this work paves the way for scalable quantum memories, quantum sensors, and quantum repeaters. The educational and outreach activities of this project also provide special research opportunities for community college transfer students, undergraduate research, and international collaborations.Photons are used to transmit quantum information over long distances within quantum networks. However, increased versatility and performance of these networks also requires the ability to store and retrieve quantum information from long-lived local quantum excitations. Phonons are promising candidates for such local excitations but achieving an efficient photon-phonon interconnect is challenging. This research program meets this challenge by combining the world’s best on-chip optical cavities with new phononic resonators fashioned from ultra-high purity crystalline quartz and superfluid helium. Efficient access to the long-lived phonon modes within these media is created by tailoring the device geometry to create strong Brillouin coupling. Through Brillouin processes, an incident photon scatters to a phonon and a red-shifted photon; these scattered particles form a quantum-entangled pair. By combining and detecting scattered photons produced by two such systems, phonons stored in cavities at remote locations become entangled. Combining rapid photon-phonon conversion and long coherence times, many quantum operations can be performed within the phonon lifetime making more complex operations possible. Employing a hybrid integration approach that leverages the benefits of wafer-scale photonic integrated circuit technologies, these new quantum devices pave the way for scalable quantum memories, quantum sensors, and quantum repeaters.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.