All of the approaches for quantum information processing have their own advantages, but unfortunately also their own drawbacks. Ideally, one would merge the most attractive features of those different approaches in a single technology. We envision that large-scale photonic crystal (PC) integrated circuits and fibers could be the basis for robust and compact quantum circuits and processors of the next generation quantum computers and networking devices. Cavity QED, solid-state, and (non)linear optical models for computing, and optical fiber approach for communications are the most promising candidates to be improved through this novel technology. In our work, we consider both digital and analog quantum computing. In the digital domain, we first perform gate- level analysis. To achieve this task, we solve the Jaynes- Cummings Hamiltonian with time-dependent coupling parameters under the dipole and rotating-wave approximations for a 3D PC single-mode cavity with a sufficiently high Q-factor. We then exploit the results to show how to create a maximally entangled state of two atoms and how to implement several quantum logic gates: a dual-rail Hadamard gate, a dual-rail NOT gate, and a SWAP gate. In all of these operations, we synchronize atoms, as opposed to previous studies with PCs. The method has the potential for extension to N-atom entanglement, universal quantum logic operations, and the implementation of other useful, cavity QED-based quantum information processing tasks. In the next part of the digital domain, we study circuit-level implementations. We design and simulate an integrated teleportation and readout circuit on a single PC chip. The readout part of our device can not only be used on its own but can also be integrated with other compatible optical circuits to achieve atomic state detection. Further improvement of the device in terms of compactness and robustness is possible by integrating with sources and detectors in the optical regime. In the analog domain, we consider a quantum simulation problem. We show that the Klein paradox for the Klein-Gordon equation of a spin-zero particle manifests exactly the same kind of wave propagation and negative refraction phenomenon as the scattering of a transverse-electric-polarized electromagnetic wave incident on a negative index medium. Using this peculiar feature of negative index materials, we show that real time control and processing of some quantum experiments related with Klein paradox can be achieved by an optoelectronic simulator designed according to certain transformations and approximations
All of the approaches for quantum information processing have their own advantages, but unfortunately also their own drawbacks. Ideally, one would merge the most attractive features of those different approaches in a single technology. We envision that large-scale photonic crystal (PC) integrated circuits and fibers could be the basis for robust and compact quantum circuits and processors of the next generation quantum computers and networking devices. Cavity QED, solid-state, and (non)linear optical models for computing, and optical fiber approach for communications are the most promising candidates to be improved through this novel technology. In our work, we consider both digital and analog quantum computing. In the digital domain, we first perform gate- level analysis. To achieve this task, we solve the Jaynes- Cummings Hamiltonian with time-dependent coupling parameters under the dipole and rotating-wave approximations for a 3D PC single-mode cavity with a sufficiently high Q-factor. We then exploit the results to show how to create a maximally entangled state of two atoms and how to implement several quantum logic gates: a dual-rail Hadamard gate, a dual-rail NOT gate, and a SWAP gate. In all of these operations, we synchronize atoms, as opposed to previous studies with PCs. The method has the potential for extension to N-atom entanglement, universal quantum logic operations, and the implementation of other useful, cavity QED-based quantum information processing tasks. In the next part of the digital domain, we study circuit-level implementations. We design and simulate an integrated teleportation and readout circuit on a single PC chip. The readout part of our device can not only be used on its own but can also be integrated with other compatible optical circuits to achieve atomic state detection. Further improvement of the device in terms of compactness and robustness is possible by integrating with sources and detectors in the optical regime. In the analog domain, we consider a quantum simulation problem. We show that the Klein paradox for the Klein-Gordon equation of a spin-zero particle manifests exactly the same kind of wave propagation and negative refraction phenomenon as the scattering of a transverse-electric-polarized electromagnetic wave incident on a negative index medium. Using this peculiar feature of negative index materials, we show that real time control and processing of some quantum experiments related with Klein paradox can be achieved by an optoelectronic simulator designed according to certain transformations and approximations
We solve the Jaynes-Cummings Hamiltonian with time-dependent coupling parameters under the dipole and rotating-wave approximations for a three-dimensional photonic crystal (PC) single-mode cavity with a sufficiently high-quality Q factor. We then exploit the results to show how to create a maximally entangled state of two atoms and how to implement several quantum logic gates: a dual-rail Hadamard gate, a dual-rail NOT gate, and a SWAP gate. The atoms in all of these operations are syncronized, which is not the case in previous studies of PCs [J. Mod. Opt.48, 1495 (2001); Eur. Phys. J. D10, 285 (2000); Eur. Phys. J. D18, 247 (2002)]. Our method has the potential for extension to N-atom entanglement, universal quantum logic operations, and the implementation of other useful, cavity QED-based quantum information processing tasks.
The development of integrated photonic systems, both on-chip and fiber-based, has transformed quantum photonics by replacing bulky, fragile free-space optical setups with compact, efficient, and robust circuits. Photonic platforms incorporating fiber-connected sources of correlated and entangled photon pairs offer practical advantages, such as operation at room temperature, efficient integration with telecom infrastructure, and compatibility with mature and efficient semiconductor fabrication processes for cost-effective and large-scale optical circuits. The stability and scalability of integrated quantum photonics platforms have facilitated the generation and processing of quantum information in the temporal domain within a single spatial mode. Time-bin encoded states, known for their robustness against decoherence and compatibility with existing fiber-optic infrastructure, have shown to be an efficient paradigm for advanced applications like quantum secure communication, information processing, spectroscopy, imaging, and sensing. This review examines recent advancements in fiber- and chip-based platforms for generating non-classical states and their applications as quantum state processors in the time domain. We discuss the generation of pulsed quantum frequency combs using microring resonators and intra-cavity mode-locked laser schemes, enabling co- and cross-polarized quantum photonic states. Additionally, the versatility of these resonator chips for entanglement generation is emphasized, including two- and multi-photon time-bin entangled schemes. We highlight the development of time-bin entanglement analyzers in fiber architectures, featuring ultrahigh stability and post-selection-free capabilities, which enable precise and efficient characterization of two- and higher-dimensional time-bin entanglement. We also review scalable on-chip schemes for quantum key distribution, demonstrating low quantum bit error rates and compatibility with higher-dimensional quantum communication protocols. Further, methods for enhancing temporal resolution in detection schemes, crucial for time-bin encoding, are presented, such as the time-stretch sampling technique using electro-optic modulation. These innovations, relying on readily available, telecom-based fiber-optic components, provide practical, scalable, and cost-effective solutions for advancing quantum photonic technologies. Looking forward, time-bin encoding is expected to play a pivotal role in the advancement of quantum repeaters, distributed quantum networks, and hybrid light-matter systems, advancing the realization of globally scalable quantum technologies.
In recent years, quantum information has rapidly evolved as a field with transformative potential in science and technology. It provides secure encryption for communication, accurate emulation of practical physical systems, streamlined and accelerated machine learning models, and advanced computational powers that outperform classical supercomputers in solving complex problems. These advancements are all reliant on the superposition and entanglement properties of qubits. While various candidates such as trapped ions or superconducting qubits have been proposed to realize quantum technologies, photons have demonstrated a prominent advantage due to their robustness against decoherence and noise, high clock cycle rate, fast and easy measurement, and room temperature working environment. In addition, photonic integrated chip (PIC) technology has developed rapidly since the beginning of the 21st century. The number of devices integrated on a single chip has increased rapidly, and its complexity has also increased. Quantum computing combined with integrated photonics is expected to solve bottleneck problems in practical situations. In this thesis, based on the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform, an optical computing chip and a large-scale quantum computing chip with various practical applications are specifically studied. In the first part of the thesis, a novel integrated diffractive optical network is studied, and a scheme is designed to realize parallel Fourier transform, convolution operations, and application-specific optical computing. Due to the utilization of on-chip compact diffractive cells (slab waveguides), the footprint and power consumption of the proposed architecture is reduced from quadratic scaling in the input data dimensions required for Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI)-based optical neural network (ONN) architectures to linear scaling for the improved deep neural networks. A 10-fold reduction in both footprint and energy consumption and equal high accuracy with previous MZI-based ONNs was experimentally achieved for computations performed on the Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology (MNIST) and Fashion-MNIST datasets. This reduction in the resource scaling from quadratic to linear has a profound impact on the realization of large-scale silicon-photonics computing circuits with current fabrication technologies. A quantum photonic microprocessor based on Gaussian Boson sampling (GBS) that offers dynamic programmability to solve various graph-related NP-complete problems is then demonstrated. The system with optical, electrical, and thermal packaging implements a GBS with 16 modes of single-mode squeezed vacuum states, a universal programmable 16-mode interferometer, and a single photon readout on all outputs with high accuracy, generality, and controllability. The developed system is applied to demonstrate applications in solving NP-complete problems, manifesting the ability of photonic quantum computing to realize practical applications for conventionally intractable computations. The GBS-based quantum photonic microprocessor is applied to solve task assignment, Boolean satisfiability, graph clique, max cut, and vertex cover. These demonstrations suggest an excellent benchmarking platform, paving the way toward large-scale combinatorial optimization. Finally, this thesis explores the application possibility of large-scale PICs in molecular simulation. A new algorithm utilizing states with zero displacements (vacuum-squeezed states) coupling to a linear network is proposed to calculate molecular vibronic spectra. With a large-scale PIC, molecular vibronic spectra are accurately simulated for formic acid and thymine with high reconstructed fidelity (>91%) and for naphthalene, phenanthrene, and benzene under the non-Condon regime. Our experimental demonstration will open pathways toward conducting large-scale molecular quantum simulations, a task surpassing classical computers’ capabilities.
Abstract Integrated quantum photonic circuits are a promising approach to realizing future quantum information processing. To achieve large-scale quantum photonic circuits, as many quantum logic gates as possible are expected to be integrated on chips. This requires quantum logic gates to be as small as possible. Here, we report the implementation of super-compact universal quantum logic gates on silicon photonic chips by inverse design. The sizes for the fabricated optical controlled-NOT gate and single-qubit gates (Hadamard gate) on the chip are about one vacuum wavelength, which are the smallest optical quantum gates ever verified in the world. The quantum circuit by these cascaded fundamental gates is shrunk several orders compared to those previous quantum photonic circuits that perform arbitrary quantum processing. Our study paves the way for the realization of large-scale quantum photonic chips with integrated sources for practical quantum information processes.
Quantum computers require technologies that offer both sufficient control over coherent quantum phenomena and minimal spurious interactions with the environment. We show, that photons confined to photonic crystals, and in particular to highly efficient waveguides formed from linear chains of defects doped with atoms can generate strong non-linear interactions which allow to implement both single and two qubit quantum gates. The simplicity of the gate switching mechanism, the experimental feasibility of fabricating two dimensional photonic crystal structures and integrability of this device with optoelectronics offers new interesting possibilities for optical quantum information processing networks.
Integrated quantum photonic circuit is a promising platform for the realization of quantum information processing in the future. To achieve the large-scale quantum photonic circuits, the applied quantum logic gates should be as small as possible for the high-density integration on chips. Here, we report the implementation of super-compact universal quantum logic gates on silicon chips by the method of inverse design. In particular, the fabricated controlled-NOT gate and Hadamard gate are both nearly a vacuum wavelength, being the smallest optical quantum gates reported up to now. We further design the quantum circuit by cascading these fundamental gates to perform arbitrary quantum processing, where the corresponding size is about several orders smaller than that of previous quantum photonic circuits. Our study paves the way for the realization of large-scale quantum photonic chips with integrated sources and can have important applications in the field of quantum information processes.