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arXiv:1812.02528 · New Journal of Physics

On-chip integration of single solid-state quantum emitters with a SiO2 photonic platform

Florian Böhm, Niko Nikolay, Christoph Pyrlik, Jan Schlegel, Andreas Thies, Andreas Wicht, G. Tränkle, Oliver J. Benson

Published Mar 20, 2019• 31 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract One important building block for future integrated nanophotonic devices is the scalable on-chip interfacing of single photon emitters and quantum memories with single optical modes. Here we present the deterministic integration of a single solid-state qubit, the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center, with a photonic platform consisting exclusively of SiO2 grown thermally on a Si substrate. The platform stands out by its ultra-low fluorescence and the ability to produce various passive structures such as high-Q microresonators and mode-size converters. By numerical analysis an optimal structure for the efficient coupling of a dipole emitter to the guided mode could be determined. Experimentally, the integration of a preselected NV emitter was performed with an atomic force microscope and the on-chip excitation of the quantum emitter as well as the coupling of single photons to the guided mode of the integrated structure could be demonstrated. Our approach shows the potential of this platform as a robust nanoscale interface of on-chip photonic structures with solid-state qubits.

DOI
10.1088/1367-2630/ab1144

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Abstract One important building block for future integrated nanophotonic devices is the scalable on-chip interfacing of single photon emitters and quantum memories with single optical modes. Here we present the deterministic integration of a single solid-state qubit, the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center, with a photonic platform consisting exclusively of SiO2 grown thermally on a Si substrate. The platform stands out by its ultra-low fluorescence and the ability to produce various passive structures such as high-Q microresonators and mode-size converters. By numerical analysis an optimal structure for the efficient coupling of a dipole emitter to the guided mode could be determined. Experimentally, the integration of a preselected NV emitter was performed with an atomic force microscope and the on-chip excitation of the quantum emitter as well as the coupling of single photons to the guided mode of the integrated structure could be demonstrated. Our approach shows the potential of this platform as a robust nanoscale interface of on-chip photonic structures with solid-state qubits.
A central goal in quantum information science is to efficiently interface photons with single optical modes for quantum networking and distributed quantum computing. Here, we introduce and experimentally demonstrate a compact and efficient method for the low-loss coupling of a solid-state qubit, the nitrogen vacancy (NV) center in diamond, with a single-mode optical fiber. In this approach, single-mode tapered diamond waveguides containing exactly one high quality NV memory are selected and integrated on tapered silica fibers. Numerical optimization of an adiabatic coupler indicates that near-unity-efficiency photon transfer is possible between the two modes. Experimentally, we find an overall collection efficiency between 16% and 37% and estimate a single photon count rate at saturation above 700 kHz. This integrated system enables robust, alignment-free, and efficient interfacing of single-mode optical fibers with single photon emitters and quantum memories in solids.
Finding the right material platform for engineering efficient photonic interfaces to solid state emitters has been a long-standing bottleneck for scaling up solid state quantum systems. In this work, we demonstrate that nitrogen rich silicon nitride, with its low auto-fluorescence at visible wavelengths, is a viable quantum photonics platform by showing that nitrogen vacancy centers embedded in nanodiamonds preserve both their quantum optical and spin properties post-encapsulation. Given the variety of high-performance photonic components already demonstrated in silicon nitride, our work opens up a promising avenue for building integrated photonic platforms using solid state emitters.
Single-photon sources are essential for quantum technologies, supporting secure communication, quantum computing, and integrated photonic systems. Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in nanodiamonds are robust emitters that operate at room temperature and can be positioned on-chip, but efficient coupling to photonic modes remains challenging. We present the design, fabrication, and experimental characterization of a silicon nitride photonic structure engineered to enhance and extract emission from NV centers. The device features a subwavelength gap between waveguides, a Bragg reflector for emission redirection, and an output waveguide for collection. Simulations guided the optimization of the geometry to increase the spontaneous emission rate through photonic confinement. Nanodiamonds were deposited into the gap using lithographic patterning and drop-casting. Fluorescence lifetime measurements confirm that the structure modifies the emission dynamics of the NV centers. The approach is compatible with scalable fabrication techniques and offers a practical route toward integrated, chip-based single-photon sources.
Very recently, the interest for quantum technologies by the scientific community and industry has strongly increased. Different types of implementations have been proposed as a practical implementation for a quantum bit as trapped atoms, superconducting qubits and single photons. In particular, we are interested in using single photons and single spins in solid state host matrices such as diamond (nanodiamonds or membranes). Integration of nanosources of light is currently a major bottleneck preventing the realisation of all-photonic chips for quantum technologies and nanophotonics applications. Nanophotonics and integrated optics are vast growing fields with huge market potentials in particular for quantum technologies. Ideally, one needs optical circuitry, on-chip photodetection and on-chip generation of quantum states of light (single photons, entangled photons…). We want to present our recent work on using integrated optics that can offer an easier and robust way to create fixed and compact quantum circuits that can be on chip and scalable. In this context, the coupling between waveguides and single photon emitters is critical. The goal of our research is to efficiently couple single photon emitters with a new platform made of optical glass waveguides. To achieve this goal, several paths are undertaken such as the use of dielectric and plasmonic structuration in order to increase the light interaction with the waveguide or to develop fabrication techniques to insert the emitters directly inside the guide (for nanodiamonds). We will show what is our current state of the art for placing single emitters at the right place on our optical waveguides made of ion-exchange in glass and in particular what can be done to improve our first promising results in order to get near unity coupling between the optical bus and single photon emitters. We will show first results with semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) but also using nitrogen-vacancy defects in diamond either under nanodiamond form or in thin membranes.
A central goal in quantum information science is to efficiently interface photons with single optical modes for quantum networking and distributed quantum computing. Here, we introduce and experimentally demonstrate a compact and efficient method for the low-loss coupling of a solid-state qubit, the nitrogen vacancy (NV) center in diamond, with a single-mode optical fiber. In this approach, single-mode tapered diamond waveguides containing exactly one high quality NV memory are selected and integrated on tapered silica fibers. Numerical optimization of an adiabatic coupler indicates that near-unity-efficiency photon transfer is possible between the two modes. Experimentally, we find an overall collection efficiency between 16% and 37% and estimate a single photon count rate at saturation above 700 kHz. This integrated system enables robust, alignment-free, and efficient interfacing of single-mode optical fibers with single photon emitters and quantum memories in solids. A compact way to efficiently couple a solid-state qubit, the nitrogen vacancy center in diamond, with a single-mode optical fiber is shown. The ability to efficiently couple stationary quantum memories to a single spatial mode in a silica fiber is highly desired for various applications in quantum information processing. Now, Rishi Patel and co-workers, working in the group of Dirk Englund at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have proposed and experimentally demonstrated an approach involving adiabatic power transfer between a tapered silica fiber and a single-mode micro-waveguide made from high-quality diamond. This integrated diamond–silica waveguide system enables optical collection from nitrogen vacancy centers with overall efficiencies in the range 16%–37%—a roughly four-fold improvement over previous approaches that employed diamond point emitters rather than waveguiding structures. Numerical optimization analysis suggests that near-unity efficiencies are theoretically feasible.
Optical nanocavities enable a strong interaction between single photons and single emitters. An appealing application is the construction of a quantum interface for photonic and solid state qubits. Since the material of the solid state qubit is often dierent from the nanocavity, there has been considerable interest in combining the two in a hybrid architecture. We describe our recent development of such a hybrid interface based a Gallium Phosphide photonic crystal nanocavity that is scanned and deterministically coupled to single emitters on a surface. The technique is used to couple the cavity to the nitrogen vacancy center in diamond, an emitter system with optically accessible electron spins and the ability to transfer electronic spin states to nuclear spins.