Photonic quantum technologies that harness the fundamental laws of quantum physics open the possibility of developing quantum computing and communication that could show unprecedented computational power on specific problems and unconditional information security, respectively. However, the lack of high-efficiency single-photon sources and integrated photonic circuits that can generate, manipulate and analyse entanglement states are the major hurdles to demonstrate the quantum advantages. The potential solutions are clearly explained in this thesis. Chapter 1 provides a brief overview that explains the theme of each chapter. Chapter 2 emphasises the importance of a high-efficiency single-photon source and an integrated time-bin entanglement chip, after explaining the advantages of photonic quantum computing and communication over their classical counterparts. In Chapter 3, three different temporal multiplexing schemes are experimentally demonstrated as the potential solutions to build a high-efficiency single-photon source. Chapter 3 also identifies the potential limitations of temporal multiplexing with high repetition rate. In Chapter 4, the linear processing circuits and nonlinear photon source are separately demonstrated in a low-loss double-stripe silicon nitride waveguide. In the final section of Chapter 4, an integrated silicon nitride time-bin entanglement chip that combines linear processing circuits and nonlinear photon sources is demonstrated as a potential solution to build a robust, scalable and cost-efficient quantum network in the real world. After a succinct summarisation, the final chapter briefly discusses the promising strategies and platforms to build an integrated high-efficiency single-photon source and an integrated quantum node with broad bandwidth and long storage time.
Photonic quantum technologies that harness the fundamental laws of quantum physics open the possibility of developing quantum computing and communication that could show unprecedented computational power on specific problems and unconditional information security, respectively. However, the lack of high-efficiency single-photon sources and integrated photonic circuits that can generate, manipulate and analyse entanglement states are the major hurdles to demonstrate the quantum advantages. The potential solutions are clearly explained in this thesis. Chapter 1 provides a brief overview that explains the theme of each chapter. Chapter 2 emphasises the importance of a high-efficiency single-photon source and an integrated time-bin entanglement chip, after explaining the advantages of photonic quantum computing and communication over their classical counterparts. In Chapter 3, three different temporal multiplexing schemes are experimentally demonstrated as the potential solutions to build a high-efficiency single-photon source. Chapter 3 also identifies the potential limitations of temporal multiplexing with high repetition rate. In Chapter 4, the linear processing circuits and nonlinear photon source are separately demonstrated in a low-loss double-stripe silicon nitride waveguide. In the final section of Chapter 4, an integrated silicon nitride time-bin entanglement chip that combines linear processing circuits and nonlinear photon sources is demonstrated as a potential solution to build a robust, scalable and cost-efficient quantum network in the real world. After a succinct summarisation, the final chapter briefly discusses the promising strategies and platforms to build an integrated high-efficiency single-photon source and an integrated quantum node with broad bandwidth and long storage time.
Time-bin entangled photons allow robust entanglement distribution over quantum networks. Integrated photonic circuits positioned at the nodes of a quantum network can perform the important functions of generating highly entangled photons and precisely manipulating their quantum state. In this Letter, we demonstrate time-bin entangled photon generation, noise suppression, wavelength division, and entanglement analysis on a single photonic chip utilizing low-loss double-stripe silicon nitride waveguide structures. Quantum state tomography results show 91±0.7% fidelity compared with the ideal state, indicating that highly entangled photons are generated and analyzed. This work represents a crucial step toward practical quantum networks.
Abstract High-dimensional quantum entanglement is an important resource for emerging quantum technologies such as quantum communication and quantum computation. The scalability of metres-long experimental setups limits high-dimensional entanglement in bulk optics. Advancements in quantum technology hinge on reproducible, and reconfigurable quantum devices—including photon sources, which are challenging to achieve in a scalable manner using bulk optics. Advances in nanotechnology and CMOS-compatible integration techniques have enabled the generation of entangled photons on millimeter-scale chips, significantly enhancing scalability, stability, replicability, and miniaturization for real-world quantum applications. In recent years we have seen several chip-scale demonstrations with different discrete degrees of freedom including path, frequency-bin, time-bin, and transverse modes, on many material platforms. A complete quantum photonic integrated circuit requires the generation, manipulation, and detection of quantum states, involving various active and passive quantum photonic components which further increase the degree of complexity. Here, we focus on the high-dimensional versions of qubits—qudits—and review the nonlinear optical processes that facilitate on-chip high-dimensional entangled photon sources, and the currently used material platforms. We discuss a range of current implementations of on-chip high-dimensional entangled photon sources and demonstrated applications. We comment on the current challenges due to the limitations of individual material platforms and present future opportunities in hybrid and heterogeneous integration strategies for the next generation of integrated quantum photonic chips.
Herewithin we present multiplexed integrated photonics as a realisable route to large-scale quantum technologies. Quantum photonics is one many platforms for experimental demonstrations of quantum information science. The technological advantages afforded by the combination of integrated photonic circuits with multiplexing techniques can enable performance enhancements to make photonics a leading infrastructure for implementation of real-world quantum information systems. For this purpose, we create integrated circuits to solve technical challenges in the fields of quantum cryptography, discrete variable and continuous variable quantum computation. These circuits were fabricated in a facility developed at Griffith University, Centre for Quantum Dynamics, for the production of annealed and reverse proton exchange waveguides in congruent lithium niobate and have found applications across the fields of quantum optics and cryptography. We develop and demonstrate the first integrated many-mode active optical demultiplexing of single photons from a solid-state source. This scheme enables the production of a multiphoton Fock state across multiple spatial modes from a single high brightness solid-state source with temporal indistinguishability. This work addressed a major hurdle in the development of photonic quantum computers, namely generation of a large number of indistinguishable single photons on demand. To perform the demultiplexing of single photons we develop two key technologies; a high-speed 1:4 integrated photonic switch and a many channel arbitrary pulse sequence generator. Cryptography as a field is increasingly reliant on quantum random number generators for added security. With increased demand comes a requirement for higher bitrate random number generators, and as such we demonstrate multiplexing of a random number generation scheme based on measurements of quantum vacuum fluctuations. Furthermore, we show an increased level of security at high bitrates by implementing a new signal processing scheme We demonstrate integrated generation, manipulation and homodyning of squeezed light on a single chip for the first time. This scheme is the first successful demonstration of full integration of all the major components needed for continuous variable quantum computation in a temporally multiplexed architecture. These results represent contributions to several fields of study, demonstrating the advantages of integrated quantum photonic multiplexing, and are of interest to the quantum computing, information security, integrated optics, and electronic control communities.
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.
This thesis investigates quantum photonic technology, proposing novel designs and photonic components towards the next generation of quantum computing and information processing. Chapter 1 introduces the history and motivation behind quantum information, and evaluates today’s most promising quantum technology platforms. Chapter 2 provides an overview of requisite linear and nonlinear classical photonic theory, introduces topological photonics and quantum photonic concepts, as well as nanofabrication principles. In chapter 3, a published novel probabilistic single photon source design is proposed, aimed at improving yield and photon purity. Chapter 4 proposes a published novel scheme for manipulating photons with the goal of enabling robust new quantum photonic gate designs. Chapter 5 introduces two works investigating a new photonic platform, lithium niobate on insulator (section 5.1), suitable for quantum photonic technology, and demonstrates the initial steps towards the development of spectral filtering on this platform (section 5.2). This thesis seeks to explore and advance future quantum photonic technology, from sources design to quantum photonic gate design and fabrication, stepping closer to the long standing dream of scalable photonic quantum computing.
In the past decades quantum optics has been at the forefront of quantum innovative technologies. For practical applications, scalable platforms for implementation of quantum optical circuits are vital. This thesis presents two new platforms for scalable implementation of quantum optical circuits, namely, modular approach and monolithic integration. Here, we take the first steps towards the integration of three main elements of every quantum optics circuits: Single-photon emitters, single-photon detectors, and quantum logics. Until now, most quantum optical circuits used separate platforms for single-photon generation and detection. The main challenge in the integration of these technologies, which have different requirements, has slowed down the research in the field. Here, we integrate sources and detectors by first fabricating the devices on their own platform and then transferring and combining them together. Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of silicon nitride followed by etching optical waveguides connect these elements. Removing the Poissonian optical excitation field from the quantum circuit is necessary for integration. Classical optical excitation can be avoided if the sources are electrically pumped. However, fabrication of high-quality electrically pumped sources, suitable for integration, has been limited. The experiments described in chapter 4 are our first step towards addressing the mentioned problem. Defect-free nanowires are grown on <100> direction and their optoelectronic performance are characterized. Nanowire quantum dots, thanks to their waveguiding, purity, coherence and their potentials for deterministic integration with other optical circuits, are promising single-photon sources for on-chip quantum optics. However, precise control of the emission energy of the quantum dots by growth has not become possible yet. Chapter 5 describes a method for on-chip tuning of emission energy of nanowire quantum dots using strain fields. We show the emission energy of independent nanowire quantum dots can be brought into degeneracy without affecting their single-photon emission properties. The quantum optical components have to be routed and connected together to form functional circuits. On a chip, this is usually carried out using optical waveguides. Moreover, manipulation of single photons has to be done in a scalable fashion. Again optical waveguides and ring resonators are very good candidates for this task. Therefore, understanding the behavior of these circuits such as their losses, polarization dependence, and temperature behavior is important. The experiment described in chapter 6 studies the behavior of plasma enhanced silicon nitride waveguides in cryogenic temperatures. We concluded in this chapter that due to weak thermo-optic sensitivity of silicon nitride at cryogenic temperatures, the available thermal budget on the system should be carefully considered. An important step in achieving a scalable platform for quantum optical circuits is deterministic and efficient integration of single-photon sources. In chapter 7, we demonstrate successful integration of III-V nanowire quantum dots with silicon nitride waveguides. The nanowires are deterministically selected and transferred from the original growth chip to the new substrate where they are integrated with low-loss silicon nitride waveguides. Our measurements show that the integrated sources preserve their high quality emission properties. In chapter 8, we describe an alternative approach: amodular method for scalable quantum optics. The proposed technique is based on coupling the single-photon from sources into optical fibers where the photons can be processed and then fed into the single-photon detectors. This approach has high flexibility and is easier to implement but as described in the chapter, at the moment, losses in the interfaces between optical fibers and single-photon sources are a major limiting factor. We conclude the thesis with some possible future directions and exciting new results on integration of single-photon detectors with sources and waveguides. Finally, primary results on on-chip single-photon filtering and removal of the optical excitation field are demonstrated.