We present a new class of on-chip scalable spatially-ordered single photon sources with highly promising spectral characteristics (uniformity99.5% with potential unity indistinguishability) adequate for enabling long-sought monolithically integration or hybrid-integration with silicon photonics platforms for photonic quantum information processing.
We present a new class of on-chip scalable spatially-ordered single photon sources with highly promising spectral characteristics (uniformity99.5% with potential unity indistinguishability) adequate for enabling long-sought monolithically integration or hybrid-integration with silicon photonics platforms for photonic quantum information processing.
Realization of quantum optical circuits is at the heart of quantum photonic information processing. A long-standing obstacle, however, has been the absence of a suitable platform of single photon sources (SPSs). Such SPSs need to be in spatially ordered arrays and produce, on-demand, highly pure, and indistinguishable single photons with sufficiently uniform emission characteristics to enable controlled interference between photons from distinct sources underpinning functional quantum optical networks. We report on such a platform of SPSs based on a unique class of epitaxial quantum dots dubbed mesa-top single quantum dot. Under resonant excitation, the spatially ordered SPSs (without Purcell enhancement) show single photon purity of >99% [ g (2) (0) ~ 0.015], high two-photon Hong-Ou-Mandel interference visibilities of 0.82 ± 0.03 (at 11.5 kelvin, without cavity), and spectral nonuniformity of <3 nanometers, within established locally tunable technology. Our platform of SPSs paves the path to creating on-chip scalable quantum photonic networks for communication, computation, simulation, sensing and imaging.
The first two decades of the 21st century have witnessed remarkable progress in harnessing the power of quantum mechanics, on-chip, enabled by the development in epitaxial semiconductor nanoscience with proof-of-principle demonstrations -- many tour-de force -- of quantum functionalities such as entanglement and teleportation amongst photon and matter qubits ---quintessential quantum phenomena that underpin the development of quantum technologies. A basic hindrance to such development however has been the absence of a platform of on-demand single photon sources (SPSs) with adequate spectral characteristics and arranged in spatially regular arrays necessary for their incorporation in surrounding light manipulation units to enable quantum networks. Here we report on the first spatially-ordered, scalable platform of deterministic, bright, spectrally highly uniform, pure, and indistinguishable SPSs. At 19.5K, and without Purcell enhancement, these SPSs exhibit emission purity ~99.2% and two-photon interference (TPI) indistinguishability ~57%. Oscillation behavior of the photon emission indicates that the photons originate from a coherent superposition of two excitonic states, revealing effectively a three-level electronic structure which can be exploited as potential two-frequency qubit generating energy entangled photons for teleportation. Time-dependent two photon interference (Hong-Ou Mandel interferometry) coincidence counts g(2)({\tau}) near {\tau}=0 show effectively zero count which, analyzed using the three-level model, reveals a highly encouraging dephasing time of ~0.58ns at ~20K. Such SPS arrays in a planarized structure open the pathway to creating interconnected quantum networks for application in communication, sensing, computing and more.
The capability of realizing quantum photonics implementations on-chip will have a strong impact on several aspects of quantum computation and information processing. The implementation of large scale integrated quantum photonic technologies requires on-chip reconfigurable waveguide circuits as well as single-photon sources and detectors. Many successes have been made in recent years to demonstrate complex quantum circuits in many material platforms. Among all these platforms, the Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) platform is outstanding as it is well developed for classical applications and therefore deploys a high component density, mature fabrication techniques and compatibility with the telecom regime and the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology. However, the lack of on-demand non-classical light sources, directly incorporated in silicon chips, forces the use of nonlinear processes to generate non-classical light states: the probabilistic nature of the emission process sets a limit in the maximally achievable experimental complexity. The use of on-demand sources will have a strong impact on the device’s scalability.
With high integration density and excellent optical properties, silicon photonics is becoming a promising platform for complete integration and large-scale optical quantum information processing. Scalable quantum information applications need photon generation and detection to be integrated on the same chip, and we have seen that various devices on the silicon photonic chip have been developed for this goal. This paper reviews the relevant research results and state-of-the-art technologies on the silicon photonic chip for scalable quantum applications. Despite the shortcomings, the properties of some components have already met the requirements for further expansion. Furthermore, we point out the challenges ahead and future research directions for on-chip scalable quantum information applications.
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.