MULTIPLEXED QUANTUM REPEATERS FOR HIGH-SPEED QUANTUM NETWORKS
Abstract
The world of quantum mechanics holds enormous potential to address unsolved problems in communications, computation, and precision measurements. Efforts are underway across the globe to develop such technologies in various physical systems, including atoms, superconductors, and topological states of matter. This proposal is focused on basic research towards scalable quantum technologies using photons and semiconductor spins, combining techniques from atomic physics, optoelectronics, and modern nanofabrication. In particular, the proposed work considers how to distribute entanglement between spin-based memory in a way that is fast, extensible over long distance, and scalable: these capabilities are at the core of quantum computing, quantum sensing, and the quantum internet. While proof-of-concept experiments are possible with today’s optical components, scaling these systems to tens, hundreds, or thousands of individually controllable quantum memories requires essential basic research and development towards very-large-scale integration of electronic and photonic circuits. To address this challenge, this program combines basic science research with technology development to set the foundations for large-scale, active photonic integrated circuits (PICs) comprised of ~102- 103 high-performance diamond color center (CC) quantum memories efficiently interfaced with photonic channels. This proposed memory-integrated PIC would allow a dramatic improvement in the entanglement-to-decoherence ratio by multiplexing large numbers of qubits using a single fiber, thus simultaneously attempting entanglement generation and dramatically increasing the composite entanglement rate. The program is conducted by two leaders in the field, Prof. Dirk Englund of MIT and Prof. Marko Loncar of Harvard, and overseen by Dr. Gernot Pomrenke, program manager for Optoelectronics, Photonics and Nanotechnology at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR).
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 12, 2021
- Source ID
- FA95502010105
Entities
People
- Dirk Englund
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- United States Air Force