Integrated photonics shows promise as a cost-effective, yet high performance, device platform for generating, manipulating and detecting single or entangled photons, with potential applications in secure communications, precision sensors and quantum interconnects.
Quantum photonic resources are critical for advanced applications such as quantum computation, communication, and information processing. Efficient generation and detection of quantum states, as well as reliable photon manipulation techniques, are essential for the development of practical quantum technologies. Integrated photonic platforms offer attractive solutions due to their stability, small device footprint, and improved power efficiencies. However, optical loss and environmental noise hinder their capability to transmit, measure, and detect quantum states with high accuracies. To tackle these limitations, we have developed robust solutions for quantum signal processing by leveraging infrastructures from telecommunications and integrated photonics. These approaches focus on the use of silicon-based photonic sources for entanglement generation in the time and frequency degrees of freedom, as well as chip- and fiber-based architectures for entanglement verification via quantum interference and tomography measurements. Our photonic schemes allow for high-dimensional entanglement processing, demonstrating their versatility in developing scalable and cost-efficient quantum signal processing platforms.
We develop quantum devices for the generation, manipulation and detection of light at the single photon level. Quantum dot devices allow for the generation of single and entangled photons at various frequencies including telecom wavelengths. We also develop single photon detectors with high efficiency based on NbTIN superconducting nanostructures, low noise and high time resolution to enable a range of applications including quantum communication, quantum sensing and integrated photonics. To allow for complex systems, integrated quantum optics circuits where we combine quantum sources and superconducting detectors are under development.
Photonics is an effective platform for engineering quantum states of many photons that can be harnessed for applications in information processing tasks, ranging from secure communications to enhanced sensors to efficient simulation of physical or other systems. I will discuss recent developments and some challenges to achieving this promise. Building and measuring multi-photon quantum states suitable for these applications demands a means for them to interfere and for detection at the level of individual photons. Photonic integrated circuits are well suited to these tasks at a scale that is not possible by other means. Advances in the design and utilization of circuits and detectors enable quantum advantage, and indeed provide new opportunities for classical optical systems.
Abstract In recent years, the use of integrated technologies for applications in the field of quantum information processing and communications has made great progress. The resulting devices feature valuable characteristics such as scalability, reproducibility, low cost and interconnectivity, and have the potential to revolutionize our computation and communication practices in the future, much in the way that electronic integrated circuits have drastically transformed our information processing capacities since the last century. Among the multiple applications of integrated quantum technologies, this review will focus on typical components of quantum communication systems and on overall integrated system operation characteristics. We are interested in particular in the use of photonic integration platforms for developing devices necessary in quantum communications, including sources, detectors and both passive and active optical elements. We also illustrate the challenges associated with performing quantum communications on chip, by using the case study of quantum key distribution—the most advanced application of quantum information science. We conclude with promising perspectives in this field.
Optical chips for quantum photonics are cutting-edge technology, merging photonics and quantum mechanics to manipulate light at the quantum level. These chips are crucial for advancing quantum computing, secure communication, and precision sensing by integrating photonic components such as waveguides, beam splitters, and detectors to manipulate single photons, the fundamental carriers of quantum information. Key advancements in optical chips include low-loss waveguides, efficient single-photon sources, and high-fidelity quantum gates, all essential for scalable quantum circuits. Integrating these circuits on a chip offers significant advantages in miniaturization, stability, and reproducibility over traditional bulk optics setups. Recent breakthroughs in materials science and nanofabrication have propelled the field forward, enabling the production of chips with higher precision and lower defect rates. Silicon photonics, in particular, has become a prominent platform due to its compatibility with existing semiconductor manufacturing processes, facilitating the integration of quantum photonic circuits with classical electronic systems. Here, we share our vision of the future of optical chips for quantum photonics, which hold promise for various applications. In quantum computing, they enable the development of compact and scalable quantum processors. In communication, they provide the foundation for ultra-secure quantum networks through quantum key distribution. In sensing, they allow for high-precision measurements that surpass classical limits. As research progresses, optical chips are expected to play a critical role in realizing the full potential of quantum technologies.