Published: Monday, May 20, 2020
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Illustration of the generation of two entangled photon pairs within an integrated SiC-based platform. In a microring resonance, a classical pump laser is converted into two entangled photos. This breakthrough is a great step forward in enabling scalable quantum information processing to be implemented on SiC. Credit: Light Science & Applications 2024. DOI: 10.1038/s41377-024-01443-z
The quantum information science is fascinating. Pairs of particles can be so entangled that an action on one will have an effect on the other, even if physically separated. Teleportation, a seemingly magical process, can transfer information between quantum systems located in different locations.
Quantum processes can be used to connect these systems together and form quantum communication networks. Quantum computing, quantum sensing and secure communications are only a few of the many applications that could be possible.
In the more than 30 years of Quantum 2.0, the period of quantum R&D which covers the development and use of quantum entanglement devices, systems, and protocols – the vast majority of experiments require bulky optics with specialized alignment schemes. These are often large tables for special purposes that are pneumatically float to avoid even the smallest mechanical vibrations.
The integration of optics and quantum components will enable the large-scale deployment of quantum information science, beyond the lab and towards real-life applications.
In recent years, the use of silicon carbide in integrated electronic systems for green technologies like electrical vehicles has made it a leader in integrated processes. This application has resulted in significant improvements to the quality of SiC Wafers, which is the base format used for creating integrated devices.
SiC is a material that has shown promise in the field of quantum science. It overcomes scaling issues with other materials, such as silicon. SiC is a material with unique properties that make it perfect for integrated quantum optical processing. However, challenges remain in harnessing the full potential of this material. Recent breakthroughs have been made in the generation of entangled photons using SiC microchips. This is a major step towards unlocking SiC’s capabilities for practical quantum applications.
Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg (MD) and the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburg (PA) have published a paper in Light: Science & Applications that describes the first demonstration of a SiC chip-scale entangled source.
The device is implemented using a non-linear high-order process called spontaneous four-wave mixture (SFWM), which uses an optical microring resonator integrated onto a 4H SiC-on-insulator-platform.
The experiment is set up so that pairs of photons, signal and idler, are at the wavelength for telecoms and can be transmitted through optical fibers. This is crucial for quantum communication and quantum networking. They are also created to be entangled with time and energy. Researchers report that they have generated high-quality, high-purity photon pairs.
These researchers summarize the features of the new device, stating “Our results, including a maximum coincidence-to-accidental ratio> 600 for an on-chip photon pair rate of (9 +- 1) x 103pairs/s and pump power of 0.17 mW, a heralded ? ??? The presence of (2) (0) in the range of 10-3 and a visibility of two-photon interfering fringes exceeding 99% demonstrate that SiC-based integrated devices are viable for chip scale quantum information processing. These results are also comparable to the ones obtained on more mature photonic platforms, such as silicon.”
“We are confident that our study supports the competitiveness of 4H-SiC on insulator for quantum applications. The demonstrated entangled source of photons can, for example, be easily deployed in a fibre-optic network to enable quantum communication.
By aligning the wavelengths of the idler and spin photons to the zero-phonon lines of different color centers in SiC we can also create entanglement. The wavelength alignment can be implemented through either chip-scale dispersion or frequency conversion.
Researchers state that the future of SiC-based integrated optical systems is promising. “All of these possibilities point towards a bright future of SiC-based photonics, by enabling the combination of a variety of chip-scale photonic and electric processes with color centers to suit various applications.”
For more information, please visit:
Anouar Rahmouni et. al. Entangled photon pairs generation in an integrated SiC Platform, Light: Science & Applications (2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41377-024-01443-z
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Researchers create entangled photons pairs for the first time in silicon carbide integrated (2024, 20 May)
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