HIFIG · High-Fidelity Photonic Quantum Gates
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2020-01-01 → 2021-12-31
- EU contribution
- €191,149
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF-EF-ST
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
High-Fidelity Photonic Quantum Gates
An efficient nonlinear quantum gate between two single-photons is highly desirable, as it will enable processing quantum information stored in optical photons. This capability is essential for building the next generation quantum networks, and optical quantum computing. However, such a device is constrained by the lack of interaction between optical photons in natural environments. Interestingly, cavity quantum electrodynamics provides several paths towards achieving nonlinear interaction between photons. The core idea is to utilize a 1D-atom to mediate such an interaction. A 1D-atom is a theoretical concept where a single quantum emitter is efficiently coupled to a single optical mode. 1D-atoms exhibit rich quantum electrodynamic (QED) properties and have been realized using different quantum emitters in various photonic structures. In this project, we developed an artificial 1D-atom and used it to demonstrate several important building blocks for quantum technologies based on photons. We used a novel design for our 1D atom composed of an open microcavity and an InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot. The cavity helps us to interface the quantum dot with optical photons. The cavity design is highly dynamic and allows us to tune the properties of the system on demand. Some of the project's outcomes include the demonstration of a single-photon source with record efficiency and the demonstration of an optical equivalent of a diode, which are critical components for photonic quantum information processing. Another major achievement during this project is the demonstration of near-perfect quantum interference between photons from different artificial atoms, which paves the way towards a scalable platform for quantum photonics.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
An efficient nonlinear quantum gate between two single-photons is highly desirable, as it will enable processing quantum information stored in optical photons. This capability is essential for building next generation of quantum networks, and optical quantum computing. However, such a device is constrained by lack of interaction between optical photons in natural environments. Interestingly, cavity quantum electrodynamics provides several paths towards achieving nonlinear interaction between photons. This action aims at realizing a high fidelity and efficient nonlinear gate between two single-photons using a compact solid-state design. Our approach is based on using the spin-state of a hole in an InAs/GaAs quantum dot to mediate the interaction between the photons. It has recently been demonstrated that the quantum coherence of the hole state can be on the order of several hundreds of nanoseconds. Also, the hole-states have been shown to have very coherent optical transitions which makes them an ideal candidate to realize spin-photon interfaces. In order to boost the interaction between the photons and the quantum dot, a novel microcavity structure will be used. The microcavity structure has recently been developed in the host group and shows spectacular features such as a Q-factor of 1 million, and a cooperativity of 100, making the combination of the hole-state and the microcavity structure an ideal platform to realize photonic gates. The results of this action will be highly instrumental for building quantum repeaters, and may open new directions for quantum computers based on optical photons. For instance, such a nonlinear gate may be combined with a linear network of coupled waveguides to enhance the simulation capabilities of the linear network. Finally, this action is aligned very well with the goals of the Quantum Technologies flagship initiative, and will contribute to the collective effort by the European researchers towards a lead in quantum technologies.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITAT BASEL · BaselCoordinatorSwitzerland
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union