Scalable photonic integrated circuits for high-fidelity light control

Abstract

Advances in laser technology have driven discoveries in atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics and emerging applications, from quantum computers with cold atoms or ions, to quantum networks with solid-state color centers. This progress is motivating the development of a new generation of optical control systems that can manipulate the light field with high fidelity at wavelengths relevant for AMO applications. These systems are characterized by criteria: (C1) operation at a design wavelength of choice in the visible (VIS) or near-infrared (IR) spectrum, (C2) a scalable platform that can support large channel counts, (C3) high-intensity modulation extinction and (C4) repeatability compatible with low gate errors, and (C5) fast switching times. Here, we provide a pathway to address these challenges by introducing an atom control architecture based on VIS-IR photonic integrated circuit (PIC) technology. Based on a complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor fabrication process, this atom-control PIC (APIC) technology can meet system requirements (C1)–(C5). As a proof of concept, we demonstrate a 16-channel silicon-nitride-based APIC with (5.8±0.4)ns response times and >30dB extinction ratio at a wavelength of 780 nm.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Oct 13, 2023
Source ID
10.1364/optica.489504

Entities

People

  • Adrian J. Menssen
  • Andrew J. Leenheer
  • Artur Hermans
  • Chao Li
  • Dirk R. Englund
  • Gerald Gilbert
  • Hamza Raniwala
  • Hugo Larocque
  • Ian Christen
  • Mark Dong
  • Matt Eichenfield
  • Matthew Zimmermann
  • Thomas Propson

Organizations

  • Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
  • Belgian American Educational Foundation
  • Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
  • MITRE Corporation
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • National Science Foundation
  • Sandia National Laboratories
  • United States Department of Defense
  • United States Department of Energy
  • University of Arizona

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Integrated Circuit Design and Technology.
  • Quantum Dot Semiconductor Device Photonics and Graphene Optoelectronic Materials and THz Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Fully Networked C3
  • Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control
  • Microelectronics
  • Quantum Computing