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arXiv:1210.6376 · Optics Express

H1 photonic crystal cavities for hybrid quantum information protocols

Jenna Hagemeier, Cristian Bonato, Tuan-Anh Truong, Hyochul Kim, Gareth J. Beirne, Morten Bakker, Martin P. van Exter, Yunqiu Luo, Pierre M. Petroff, Dirk Bouwmeester

Published Oct 15, 2012• 31 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Hybrid quantum information protocols are based on local qubits, such as trapped atoms, NV centers, and quantum dots, coupled to photons. The coupling is achieved through optical cavities. Here we demonstrate far-field optimized H1 photonic crystal membrane cavities combined with an additional back reflection mirror below the membrane that meet the optical requirements for implementing hybrid quantum information protocols. Using numerical optimization we find that 80% of the light can be radiated within an objective numerical aperture of 0.8, and the coupling to a single-mode fiber can be as high as 92%. We experimentally prove the unique external mode matching properties by resonant reflection spectroscopy with a cavity mode visibility above 50%.

DOI
10.1364/oe.20.024714

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Hybrid quantum information protocols are based on local qubits, such as trapped atoms, NV centers, and quantum dots, coupled to photons. The coupling is achieved through optical cavities. Here we demonstrate far-field optimized H1 photonic crystal membrane cavities combined with an additional back reflection mirror below the membrane that meet the optical requirements for implementing hybrid quantum information protocols. Using numerical optimization we find that 80% of the light can be radiated within an objective numerical aperture of 0.8, and the coupling to a single-mode fiber can be as high as 92%. We experimentally prove the unique external mode matching properties by resonant reflection spectroscopy with a cavity mode visibility above 50%.
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The focus of this thesis is to investigate and fabricate a platform that can facilitate the enhancement of light-matter interactions. By tightly confining the photons and atoms to the same region of space, the probability of interaction is drastically increased as compared to free space interactions. Specifically, we focus on forming an optical cavity (or resonator) incorporated into a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber (HCPCF) using two distinct types of reflective mirrors along the axis of the fiber while still permitting atoms to be loaded into the region of high field confinement. \n \nOne means of pursuing this goal that we explored was to propose and numerically simulate two methods for implementing Bragg gratings in a HCPCF. These two methods leave the hollow-core unobstructed and are both based on controlled selective injection of photosensitive polymers into the photonic-crystal region of the hollow-core fiber, followed by interference photolithography. We report the results of numerical simulations for the hollow core fiber with Bragg gratings formed by the two methods. We find that a reflectivity of > 99.99% should be achievable from such fiber-integrated mirrors. Such a device could support high cooperativity and strong coupling regimes to be achieved. \n \nWe also demonstrate a fiber-integrated Fabry-Pérot cavity formed by attaching a pair of dielectric metasurfaces to the ends of a hollow-core photonic-crystal fiber segment. The metasurfaces consist of perforated membranes designed as photonic-crystal slabs that act as planar mirrors but can potentially allow injection of gases through their holes into the hollow core of the fiber. We have so far observed cavities with finesse of 11 and Q-factors of ~ 4.5 × 10^5, but much higher values should be achievable with improved fabrication procedures. We expect this device to enable the advancement of new fiber lasers, enhanced gas spectroscopy, and studies of fundamental light-matter interactions and nonlinear optics. These mirrors can be designed to be polarization dichroic — transparent for one polarization and reflective for another. This unique property can be exploited to allow for all signals to be directed along the high optical depth axis of the cavity and may provide a excellent platform for applications such as optical switching. \n \nFinally, we develop a novel protocol for a single photon all-optical transistor and how it may be implemented in the above mentioned fiber cavity systems. This unique scheme utilizes a far off-resonant vacuum cavity mode to stimulate a Raman absorption process of a source photon which may be switched off by the insertion of a single gate photon into the cavity mode. Relatively high switching contrasts and ratios for the source photon transmission can be obtained in our system.
This thesis presents a viable route towards the implementation of quantum computing utilizing quantum dots embedded in optical microcavities. Following the introduction of the big picture and long-term visionary goal, general concepts fundamental to this field of research are described: quantum dots and microcavities, forming the physical system explored; and cavity quantum electrodynamics, the theoretical language used to describe their interaction.\n\nThe physical structure and the optical mode composition in oxide-apertured micropillar cavities is analyzed. Permanent tuning methods achieving polarization degenerate cavities resonant with a quantum dot transition are illustrated. Active positioning of single quantum dots is developed providing an accuracy suitable to measure the interaction between a quantum dot and a cavity in the strong coupling limit. The possibility to waveguide-couple photonic crystal cavities on the same sample is explored. A theoretical description of the quantum-dot confined electron dynamics is presented. \nPresented are ideas how a hybrid quantum system could serve for implementation of a controlled NOT gate, and therewith be the building block for a quantum computer, exploiting the weak coupling regime. A Bell-state analyzer is the second scheme that is discussed. \nResults from reflection spectroscopy measurements on single quantum dots in a micropillar cavity are presented.
Summary form only given. The motion of a micromechanical resonator coupled simultaneously to a high-finesse optical cavity and a microwave resonator can be used to transduce the fragile quantum states generated in the realm of microwave superconducting circuits into optical photons that can transport quantum information over large distances in telecom optical fibers at room temperature. We have engineered the optical and mechanical properties of thin membranes patterned in a suspended high-stress Si3N4 film to realize such a hybrid opto-electro-mechanical system. An optical Fabry-Perot cavity with a finesse exceeding 12 000 was realized between a highly reflective photonic crystal patch realized on the suspended membrane and a conventional high-reflectivity mirror. The electromechanical coupling with a nearby planar superconducting circuit is achieved by approaching the membrane at a sub-micron distance from an on-chip interdigitated capacitor. By operating the hybrid opto-electro-mechanical system in a cryogenic environment, the photon-phonon swap rates between microwave, mechanical, and optical degrees of freedom is expected to overcome the mechanical decoherence rate. An artist view of the device envisioned is depicted on Figure 1.
Scalable quantum information processing requires efficient coupling between stationary qubits (trapped atoms, ions, NV centres, etc.) via “flying” single-photon qubits. Here we investigate the optimisation and integration of fibre-tip microcavities into radiofrequency ion traps to achieve (i) high-fidelity transfer of ion qubits onto single photons, (ii) low-loss coupling of cavity photons into single-mode optical fibre, and (iii) achieving conditions (i) and (ii) without disturbing the ion trap. Our cavities are fabricated by laser micro-machining the ends of optical fibres and subsequent coating with a thin dielectric mirror, giving rise to cavity mirrors with a Gaussian profile. These cavities allow for small mode volume and thus large ion-photon coupling fulfilling requirement (i), while simultaneously providing intrinsic coupling to optical fibres, requirement (ii), as long as mode matching between the cavity mode and the fibre mode can be achieved at the cavity mirror. Using a semi-analytical numerical method, we show that Gaussian-shaped mirrors can in fact be used to enhance ion-photon coupling beyond what is possible with more common spherical cavity mirrors. Ion traps are notoriously sensitive to the presence of dielectric materials such as cavity mirrors near the trap centre, preventing requirement (iii) from being achieved. We performed an extensive numerical study of five different common ion traps to find the optimum configurations for integrating fibre-tip cavities with minimised effects on the trapping potentials. We discuss these results and present simple and effective design rules for realising optimum ion-cavity based quantum networks.
The ability to engineer and convert photons between different modes in a solid-state approach has extensive technological implications not only for classical communication systems but also for future quantum networks. In this paper, we put forward a scheme for coherent mode conversion of optical photons by utilizing the intermediate coupling between a single quantum dot and a bimodal photonic crystal microcavity via a waveguide. Here, one mode of the photonic crystal microcavity is coherently driven by an external single-frequency continuous-wave laser field and the two cavity modes are not coupled to each other due to their orthogonal polarizations. The undriven cavity mode is thus not directly coupled to the input driving laser and the only way it can get light is via the quantum dot. The influences of the system parameters on the photon-conversion efficiency are analyzed in detail in the limit of weak probe field and it is found that high photon-conversion efficiency can be achieved under appropriate conditions. It is shown that the cavity dark mode, which is a superposition of the two optical modes and is decoupled from the quantum dot, can appear in such a hybrid optical system. We discuss the properties of the dark mode and indicate that the formation of the dark mode enables the efficient transfer of optical fields between the two cavity modes.