Scalable Quantum Optical Network at the Telecommunication Wavelength

Strong and coherent interaction of photons with matter is the corner stone of the future quantum optical technologies. Engineering coherent and efficient light-matter interactions at the single photon level using chip-scale devices is the grand challenge of the future quantum photonic technologies. Interaction of this kind enables new and exciting applications including secure optical communication, photonic quantum computing and quantum sensing.

In this project we aim at developing scalable quantum processing devices for optical information that are compatible with the current telecommunication technology. We will achieve this by engineering nano-photonic crystals hosting rare-earth atoms. The strong coupling of atoms to the optical field enabled by the small mode volume of the nano-cavities provides deterministic and tunable interactions between optical information and atoms in the crystal that allows us to store, control and manipulate information. We study interaction of quantum optical information with single or ensemble of atoms inside the solid at cryogenic temperatures and seek the strong coupling regime of cavity quantum electrodynamic. The dynamics of light-atom interactions are controlled via electromagnetically induced transparency and gradient echo techniques. Ultimately, the technology arises from this endeavor results in developing single photon sources crucial for many quantum photonic technologies, quantum repeater devices for secure communication, and quantum photonic logic for quantum computations.