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Optics Letters

Light–atom interaction in an Er:YSO whispering gallery mode resonator

Trevor Kling, Mahdi Hosseini

Published Sep 16, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Rare-earth crystals are promising platforms for quantum information, with potentially long coherence times and telecom-compatible optical transitions. In this work, we investigate the optical properties of erbium atoms doped into a whispering gallery mode resonator produced by polishing a yttrium orthosilicate crystal. The multimode resonator demonstrates a bare quality factor of 2.56×10 5 . We demonstrate mode interaction between atoms and the resonator, where an effective quality factor of 8.7×10 7 is induced by spectral hole burning. The Fano interference between the atomic (spectral holes) and optical modes, and the small free-spectral range achieved here, can enable the study of tuning-free linear and nonlinear collective interactions.

DOI
10.1364/ol.605318

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Rare-earth crystals are promising platforms for quantum information, with potentially long coherence times and telecom-compatible optical transitions. In this work, we investigate the optical properties of erbium atoms doped into a whispering gallery mode resonator produced by polishing a yttrium orthosilicate crystal. The multimode resonator demonstrates a bare quality factor of 2.56×10 5 . We demonstrate mode interaction between atoms and the resonator, where an effective quality factor of 8.7×10 7 is induced by spectral hole burning. The Fano interference between the atomic (spectral holes) and optical modes, and the small free-spectral range achieved here, can enable the study of tuning-free linear and nonlinear collective interactions.
Abstract The fabrication of a yttrium orthosilicate (YSO) whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator is described, displaying quality (Q)-factors as high as 1.1 × 109. An overview of the experimental setup is presented including the procedure for spatial and spectral characterisation of the WGMs. We consider the optical losses present in such a resonator and what steps were taken in order to minimise these losses. The surface scattering in such a resonator is considered and we show that in the wavelength range of 1.5 μm, the Q-factor is not limited by scattering losses for the case in which surface inhomogeneities are weakly correlated. The high Q-factors we demonstrate have implications for rare earth ion dopant based quantum technologies because YSO is an important host material for these applications.
In this thesis we investigate the potential of erbium ions coupled to crystalline whispering-gallery mode resonators as hardware for quantum information processing. Achieving strong coupling between the erbium ions and the cavity would be a significant breakthrough for multiple quantum computing applications. To this end, we fabricate millimetre-sized resonators made from 0.001% erbium-doped yttrium orthosilicate (Er 3+ :Y 2 SiO 5 ). We show that the mechanical fabrication procedure used in making the resonators does not significantly impact the coherence properties of the erbium dopants. We find that strong coupling should be achievable using currently available technologies, so long as significant absorption in the Y 2 SiO 5 crystals is not present at the wavelength of the erbium transition.
Rare earth quantum light-matter interfaces (QLMIs) are uniquely suited for various quantum communication applications, including quantum memories and quantum optical to microwave transducers. Among rare earths, erbium QLMIs are particularly appealing due to erbium’s long lived telecom wavelength resonance, allowing integration with existing optical communication technology and infrastructure. Micro-resonator QLMIs have various advantages over bulk rare earth crystal memories. They provide the opportunity for on-chip integration; for example, optical resonators can be integrated with microwave resonators for quantum optical-microwave transduction. For spectral hole-burning based quantum memories, coupling rare earth ions to a resonator can provide improved memory initialization via Purcell enhancement of optical lifetimes, while impedance matching the resonator to the ions can raise the theoretical memory efficiency to 100%. We present hybrid nanoscale quantum light matter interfaces in the form of amorphous silicon ring resonators on yttrium orthosilicate (YSO) substrate doped with erbium ions. While working with rare earth crystal hosts can be challenging, the fabrication process for these devices is simple and robust, using traditional thin film fabrication technologies. Our devices have measured quality factors of over 105 in the 11 µm diameter rings, and evanescent coupling to an ensemble of erbium ions characterized by a cooperativity of 0.54. We present simulation and experimental results of the optical properties of these cavities, and their coupling to erbium ions, including a demonstration of Purcell enhancement of the erbium telecom transition. We then analyze their potential as quantum memories and in optical to microwave transducers.
Rare earth quantum light-matter interfaces (QLMIs) are uniquely suited for various quantum communication applications, including quantum memories and quantum optical to microwave transducers. Among rare earths, erbium QLMIs are particularly appealing due to erbium’s long lived telecom wavelength resonance, allowing integration with existing optical communication technology and infrastructure. Micro-resonator QLMIs have various advantages over bulk rare earth crystal memories. They provide the opportunity for on-chip integration; for example, optical resonators can be integrated with microwave resonators for quantum optical-microwave transduction. For spectral hole-burning based quantum memories, coupling rare earth ions to a resonator can provide improved memory initialization via Purcell enhancement of optical lifetimes, while impedance matching the resonator to the ions can raise the theoretical memory efficiency to 100%. We present hybrid nanoscale quantum light matter interfaces in the form of amorphous silicon ring resonators on yttrium orthosilicate (YSO) substrate doped with erbium ions. While working with rare earth crystal hosts can be challenging, the fabrication process for these devices is simple and robust, using traditional thin film fabrication technologies. Our devices have measured quality factors of over 105 in the 11 µm diameter rings, and evanescent coupling to an ensemble of erbium ions characterized by a cooperativity of 0.54. We present simulation and experimental results of the optical properties of these cavities, and their coupling to erbium ions, including a demonstration of Purcell enhancement of the erbium telecom transition. We then analyze their potential as quantum memories and in optical to microwave transducers.
Optical quantum memories will enable technologies including long distance quantum communication and modular quantum computing. Rare earth ion doped crystals provide an excellent solid state platform for optical quantum memories. Among rare earths, erbium is particularly appealing due to its long-lived telecom-wavelength resonance, allowing integration with silicon photonics and with existing optical communication technology and infrastructure. We present an on-chip all-optical quantum memory at telecom wavelengths using a nanobeam photonic crystal cavity fabricated directly in erbium-167 doped yttrium orthosilicate. Using an atomic frequency comb protocol, we store coherent pulses for memory times as long as 10 µs, albeit with low efficiency. For shorter memory times, we achieve a memory efficiency of 0.4%, which is limited by the coupling rate between the resonator and the ensemble of ions. By working at dilution refrigerator temperatures, we are able to access a regime where the ions have long optical coherence times and good spectral holeburning properties using only a moderate magnetic field applied with permanent magnets. We characterize the multimode properties and fidelity of the quantum memory in this device, and outline a path toward higher efficiency.
Numerous bulk crystalline materials exhibit attractive nonlinear and luminescent properties for classical and quantum optical applications. A chip-scale platform for high quality factor optical nanocavities in these materials will enable new optoelectronic devices and quantum light-matter interfaces. In this article, photonic crystal nanobeam resonators fabricated using focused ion beam milling in bulk insulators, such as rare-earth doped yttrium orthosilicate and yttrium vanadate, are demonstrated. Operation in the visible, near infrared, and telecom wavelengths with quality factors up to 27,000 and optical mode volumes close to one cubic wavelength is measured. These devices enable new nanolasers, on-chip quantum optical memories, single photon sources, and non-linear devices at low photon numbers based on rare-earth ions. The techniques are also applicable to other luminescent centers and crystal.