Integrated Quantum Photonics and Opto-mechanics
Final Report Abstract
Within the Emmy-Noether project a nanophotonic platform for optomechanical and quantum photonic on-chip experiments was developed. Based on electron beam lithography low loss waveguiding devices were realized in various material systems, including silicon, silicon nitride and diamond. By heterogeneous integration with superconducting thin films, passive circuits were provided with active functionality for single photon detection. In the form of superconducting nanowires, these detectors have been established as a high performance approach which provides scalability to quantum photonic devices on the detection side. Efficient on-chip detectors have been realized on silicon, diamond and silicon nitride waveguide structures. By realizing free-standing photonic structures embedded in on-chip circuits nanomechanical resonators have been realized which provide mechanical degrees of freedom for tunable photonic circuits. In particular in diamond optomechanical structures high quality devices have been realized. By exploiting gradient optical forces as well as electrostatic actuation, such free-standing devices can be used to alter the optical properties of near-field coupled devices. In the context of chipscale quantum photonics, optomechanical reconfigurability is attractive because of low dissipation and thus small heat load on the circuit. This is essential for operating reconfigurable devices in combination with superconducting detectors on the same substrate. Alternative approaches using microheaters on chip have been explored as well, in particular for realizing tunable optical filters for pump light suppression. On the source sides, single photon generation on chip was demonstrated using hybrid integration with semiconducting carbon nanotubes. These nanoscale emitters can be efficiently embedded in on-chip circuits using scalable deposition via dielectrophoresis. Through near-field coupling, emitted light can be collected with high efficiency in nanophotonic waveguides and thus provides a nanophotonic circuit compatible light source with electrical drive. With these achievements the essential ingredients for on-chip quantum photonics were realized. Through full integration of all elements in a common system, a chipscale platform for realizing quantum optics experiments in integrated form becomes feasible. The project firmly established a very fruitful international collaboration with MSPU in Moscow. Given the successful accomplishment of the project goals we anticipate further avenues for continued research on hybrid nanophotonic devices.
Publications
- “Diamond-integrated optomechanical circuits”, Nature Communications 4, 1690 (2013)
P. Rath, S. Khasminskaya, C. Nebel, C.Wild and W.H.P. Pernice
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms2710) - “Waveguide integrated low noise NbTiN nanowire single-photon detectors with milli-Hz dark count rate”, Scientific Reports 3, 1893 (2013)
C. Schuck, W.H.P. Pernice and H.X. Tang
- “Hybrid 2D– 3D optical devices for integrated optics by direct laser writing”, Light: Science and Applications. 3, e175 (2014)
M. Schumann, T. Bückmann, N. Gruhler, M. Wegener and W.H.P. Pernice
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1038/lsa.2014.56) - “Waveguide integrated electroluminescent carbon nanotubes”, Advanced Materials 26, 3465 (2014)
S. Khasminskaya, F. Pyatkov, B. S. Flavel, W.H.P. Pernice and R. Krupke
- “Superconducting single-photon detectors integrated with diamond nanophotonic circuits”, Light: Science & Applications 4, e338 (2015)
P. Rath, O. Kahl, S. Ferrari, F. Sproll, G. Lewes-Malandrakis, D. Brink, K. Ilin, M. Siegel, C. Nebel and W.H.P. Pernice
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1038/lsa.2015.111) - “Waveguide integrated superconducting single-photon detectors with high internal quantum efficiency at telecom wavelengths”, Scientific Reports 5, 10941 (2015)
O. Kahl, S. Ferrari, V. Kovalyuk, G. N. Goltsman, A. Korneev and W.H.P. Pernice
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1038/srep10941) - “Waveguide-integrated single- and multi-photon detection at telecom wavelengths using superconducting nanowires”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 106, 151101 (2015)
S. Ferrari, O. Kahl, V. Kovalyuk, G. N. Goltsman, A. Korneev, and W.H.P. Pernice
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4917166) - Superconducting single photon detector, US Patent 9500519, 22.11.201
H. Tang, W. Pernice, C. Schuck
- “Cavity-Enhanced and Ultrafast Superconducting Single-Photon Detectors”, Nano Letters 16, 7085 (2016)
A. Vetter, S. Ferrari, P. Rath, R. Alaee, O. Kahl, V. Kovalyuk, S. Diewald, G. N. Goltsman, A. Korneev, C. Rockstuhl and W.H.P. Pernice
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b03344) - “Cavity-enhanced light emission from electrically driven carbon nanotubes”, Nature Photonics 10, 424 (2016)
F. Pyatkov, V. Fütterling, S. Khasminskaya, B.S. Flavel, F. Hennrich, T. Scherer, D. Wang, M. Kappes, R. Krupke and W.H.P. Pernice
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1038/NPHOTON.2016.70) - “Fully integrated quantum photonic circuit with an electrically driven light source”, Nature Photonics 10, 727 (2016)
S. Khasminskaya, F. Pyatkov, K. Słowik, S. Ferrari, O. Kahl, V. Kovalyuk, P. Rath, A. Vetter, F. Hennrich, M. M. Kappes, G. Gol'tsman, A. Korneev, C. Rockstuhl, R. Krupke and W.H.P. Pernice
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1038/NPHOTON.2016.178)
