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Optical Fiber Communication Conference

Scalable Microwave-to-Optical Transducers for Quantum Computing and Network

Chi Xiong

Published Jan 1, 2024• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Microwave-to-optics quantum transducers are an essential component for scaling superconducting quantum processors and building heterogeneous quantum network. This talk reviews the challenges and progresses in making quantum transducers and discusses IBM’s electro-optic transducer approach. Full-text article not available; see video presentation

DOI
10.1364/ofc.2024.w4k.2

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Microwave-to-optics quantum transducers are an essential component for scaling superconducting quantum processors and building heterogeneous quantum network. This talk reviews the challenges and progresses in making quantum transducers and discusses IBM’s electro-optic transducer approach. Full-text article not available; see video presentation
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Optical photons play unique role in transmitting information over long distances. Photonic links by the optical fiber networks compose the backbone of today's global internet. Such fiber optics can also provide the most cost-effective quantum channels to distribute quantum information across distant stationary nodes in future large-scale quantum networks. This prospect motivates the recent emerging efforts in developing microwave-optical quantum transduction technology to interconnect microwave quantum processors. Various frequency conversion approaches are investigated to efficiently bridge the enormous electromagnetic frequency gap while preserving quantum coherence. Nonetheless, high-fidelity entanglement generation between remote quantum processing units has remained out of reach to date. Here, we summarize the state-of-the-art progresses in quantum transducer engineering and provide the perspectives on the key challenges and opportunities toward optically heralded quantum entanglement distributions.
Quantum frequency conversion between superconducting (SC) microwave qubits and telecom optical photons is critical for long distance communication of networked SC quantum processors. While SC qubits operate at cryogenic temperatures to sustain their quantum coherence, converting them to the optical domain enables transferring the quantum states to room temperature and over long distances. For such a quantum state transduction process, several schemes have been investigated, including optomechanics, magnons, piezomechanics, and Pockels electro-optics (EO). The EO conversion approach is particularly attractive since it is broadband, low noise, mechanically and thermally stable (i.e., does not rely on freestanding structures), scalable (largescale integration of EO devices with superconducting circuits is possible), and tunable (e.g., using bias voltages). In this presentation we review our progress in an electro-optic based quantum transduction and discuss the promises and challenges.