Solid-state quantum emitters, such as quantum dots, color centers, rare-earth dopants, and organic molecules, offer qubit systems that integrate well with chip-scale photonic and electronic devices. To fully harness their potential for quantum applications requires the generation of entanglement between two remote qubits with high fidelity and efficiency. In this article, we compare the performance of three common photon-mediated entanglement schemes under realistic noise for solid-state quantum emitters, including optical dephasing and spectral diffusion. We identify the optimal scheme across different noise regimes and calculate the measurement parameters needed to achieve the highest entanglement fidelity at a given rate. Additionally, we explore the effects of temporal and spectral filtering in enhancing entanglement fidelity. Our findings provide practical guidelines for selecting optimal entanglement schemes and outline the measurement strategies for achieving better entanglement fidelity.
Solid-state quantum emitters, such as quantum dots, color centers, rare-earth dopants, and organic molecules, offer qubit systems that integrate well with chip-scale photonic and electronic devices. To fully harness their potential for quantum applications requires the generation of entanglement between two remote qubits with high fidelity and efficiency. In this article, we compare the performance of three common photon-mediated entanglement schemes under realistic noise for solid-state quantum emitters, including optical dephasing and spectral diffusion. We identify the optimal scheme across different noise regimes and calculate the measurement parameters needed to achieve the highest entanglement fidelity at a given rate. Additionally, we explore the effects of temporal and spectral filtering in enhancing entanglement fidelity. Our findings provide practical guidelines for selecting optimal entanglement schemes and outline the measurement strategies for achieving better entanglement fidelity.
We analyze and compare three different schemes that can be used to generate entanglement between spin qubits in optically-active single solid-state quantum systems. Each scheme is based on first generating entanglement between the spin degree of freedom and either the photon number, the time bin, or the polarization degree of freedom of photons emitted by the systems. We compute the time dynamics of the entanglement generation process by unraveling a Markovian master equation into a set of propagation superoperators conditioned on the cumulative detector photocount. We then use the conditional density operator solutions to compute the efficiency and fidelity of the final spin-spin entangled state while accounting for spin decoherence, optical pure dephasing, spectral diffusion, photon loss, detector dark counts, and detector photon number resolution limitations. We find that the limit to fidelity for each scheme is restricted by the mean wavepacket overlap of photons from each source, but that these bounds are different for each scheme. We also compare the performance of each scheme as a function of the distance between spin qubits.
In many quantum architectures the solid-state qubits, such as quantum dots or color centers, are interfaced via emitted photons. However, the frequency of photons emitted by solid-state systems exhibits slow uncontrollable fluctuations over time (spectral diffusion), creating a serious problem for implementation of the photon-mediated protocols. Here we show that a sequence of optical pulses applied to the solid-state emitter can stabilize the emission line at the desired frequency. We demonstrate efficiency, robustness, and feasibility of the method analytically and numerically. Taking nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond as an example, we show that only several pulses, with the width of 1 ns, separated by few ns (which is not difficult to achieve) can suppress spectral diffusion. Our method provides a simple and robust way to greatly improve the efficiency of photon-mediated entanglement and/or coupling to photonic cavities for solid-state qubits.
We analyze and compare three different schemes that can be used to generate entanglement between spin qubits in optically active single solid-state quantum systems. Each scheme is based on first generating entanglement between the spin degree of freedom and the photon number, the time bin, or the polarization degree of freedom of photons emitted by the systems. We compute the time evolution of the entanglement generation process by decomposing the dynamics of a Markovian master equation into a set of propagation superoperators conditioned on the cumulative detector photon count. We then use the conditional density operator solutions to compute the efficiency and fidelity of the final spin-spin--entangled state while accounting for spin decoherence, optical pure dephasing, spectral diffusion, photon loss, phase errors, detector dark counts, and detector photon number resolution limitations. We find that the limit to fidelity for each scheme is restricted by the mean wave-packet overlap of photons from each source but that these bounds are different for each scheme. We also compare the performance of each scheme as a function of the distance between spin qubits.
Self-assembled quantum dots can act as an interface between single spins and photons. They combine the flexibility and scalability of semiconductor systems with near-perfect two level systems, emitting highly coherent single photons. In potential quantum information processing architectures based upon optical networks, quantum dots permit light-matter coupling between matter qubits and photonic links. Single trapped charge carriers in quantum dots can be addressed optically, generating spin-photon entanglement between the matter qubits and \lq flying' photon qubits, a key first step in creation of a network. Such an optically linked network of spins in quantum dots has yet to be realized. The semiconductor environment presents a key challenge; it broadens the spectrum of the emitted light, which reduces the fidelity of schemes based upon photon exchange or interference. In addition, these quantum dots are subject to hyperfine coupling to a bath of > 105 nuclear spins. While this presents an opportunity to study the physics of a central spin in a spin bath, it degrades the spin coherence of a trapped electron or hole. The suggested gate operations to generate entanglement, and the spin measurements to verify a created state, rely upon photon detection. Thus a second limitation occurs due to low efficiency of detectors and photon collection probability. Recent developments in detector technology have enabled us to bring generation and verification of entangled states with quantum dots into the realm of possibility. This dissertation begins with a detailed study of the interaction of a single electron spin with the solid state environment of the quantum dot, analysing the intensity noise of scattered light under resonant excitation to uncover the timescales and relative amplitudes of identified noise sources. A technique for rapid characterization of samples is presented, focusing in particular upon comparison of spectral broadening of the optical transitions relevant to a spin-photon interface. Having identified the extent of environmental factors acting upon the quantum dots, we turn to a demonstration of photon-mediated entanglement between two distant electron spins using a probabilistic scheme. We are able to generate entangled states at 7 kHz, the fastest yet reported for photon-mediated protocols. The average state fidelity of the created Bell states is 63.5 ± 3.0 \%., violating the classical limit by over 4 standard deviations of the mean. In addition, we demonstrate full optical phase tuning of the Bell state ∣Ψ=21(∣↑∣↓+eiϕ∣↓∣↑). This is a proof of principle experiment, and sets a fidelity benchmark upon which gains can be made by mitigation of environmental dynamics.
Solid state quantum emitters with electronic spin properties can be entangled using optical interferometric which-path erasure techniques that rely on identical frequencies and linewidths of the emitters. This promises a powerful, fast and scalable platform for quantum technologies. Using current protocols, a pair of emitters embedded in a waveguide interferometer can be deterministically prepared in a maximally entangled state. However, the amount of entanglement diminishes rapidly with increasing separation of the emission lines and variations in the linewidths of the emitters. Solid state emitters such as quantum dots are subject to intrinsic variations in the fabrication process. Therefore, manufacturing the required number of identical emitters on a chip is not scalable. In this Letter, we present a method that uses readily available pairs of entangled photons to entangle solid state emitters with large transition frequency separations and linewidth variations, circumventing the need to fabricate optically identical emitters. We demonstrate a concurrence of C = 0.95 for typical quantum dots using narrowband photon inputs.
When two quantum bits are coupled through a cavity, a two-qubit gate can be realized between them either in the near-resonant regime over a timescale established by the coupling strength of the qubits with the cavity, or in the dispersive regime, over a longer timescale established by the combination of the coupling strength and the frequency detuning between the qubits and the cavity. When the qubits are spectrally noisy or differently detuned from the cavity, the fidelity for the operation can be drastically reduced in either case, precluding scalable realizations. We introduce the protocol for optimal cavity-enabled gates (POCEG) that is shown, through reliable numerical and analytical solutions, to overcome spectral differences between quantum bits and to achieve high fidelity between disparate/noisy quantum emitters. Namely, for a cavity with low damping rate, we apply a sequence of pulses to the qubits at the frequency of the cavity while periodically modulating the coupling of the qubits to the cavity. Alternatively, in the case of a large damping rate, we operate in the dispersive regime and overcome spectral disparities by applying the pulses at a frequency far-detuned from the cavity. In both instances, we find for the quantum state transfer between the two qubits that, with a modest inter-pulse delay, the fidelity that would otherwise be strongly suppressed by the spectral mismatch of the qubits can be increased beyond 99.9%. These protocols have the capacity to bring two-qubit gates between solid state systems across the threshold required for fault-tolerant quantum computing.