No Arabic abstract
Quantum mechanically, multiple particles can jointly be in a coherent superposition of two or more different states at the same time. This property is called quantum entanglement, and gives rise to characteristic nonlocal interference and stays at the heart of quantum information process. Here, rather than interference of different intrinsic properties of particles, we experimentally demonstrated coherent superposition of two different birthplaces of a four-photon state. The quantum state is created in four probabilistic photon-pair sources, two combinations of which can create photon quadruplets. Coherent elimination and revival of distributed 4-photons can be fully controlled by tuning a phase. The stringent coherence requirements are met by using a silicon-based integrated photonic chip that contains four spiral waveguides for producing photon pairs via spontaneous four-wave mixing. The experiment gives rise to peculiar nonlocal phenomena without any obvious involvement of entanglement. Besides several potential applications that exploit the new on-chip technology, it opens up the possibility for fundamental studies on nonlocality with spatially separated locations.
Large-scale integrated quantum photonic technologies will require the on-chip integration of identical photon sources with reconfigurable waveguide circuits. Relatively complex quantum circuits have already been demonstrated, but few studies acknowledge the pressing need to integrate photon sources and waveguide circuits together on-chip. A key step towards such large-scale quantum technologies is the integration of just two individual photon sources within a waveguide circuit, and the demonstration of high-visibility quantum interference between them. Here, we report a silicon-on-insulator device combining two four-wave mixing sources, in an interferometer with a reconfigurable phase shifter. We configure the device to create and manipulate two-colour (non-degenerate) or same-colour (degenerate), path-entangled or path-unentangled photon pairs. We observe up to 100.0+/-0.4% visibility quantum interference on-chip, and up to 95+/-4% off-chip. Our device removes the need for external photon sources, provides a path to increasing the complexity of quantum photonic circuits, and is a first step towards fully-integrated quantum technologies.
Future quantum computers require a scalable architecture on a scalable technology---one that supports millions of high-performance components. Measurement-based protocols, based on graph states, represent the state of the art in architectures for optical quantum computing. Silicon photonics offers enormous scale and proven quantum optical functionality. Here we report the first demonstration of photonic graph states on a mass-manufactured chip using four on-chip generated photons. We generate both star- and line-type graph states, implementing a basic measurement-based protocol, and measure heralded interference of the chips four photons. We develop a model of the device and bound the dominant sources of error using Bayesian inference. The two-photon barrier, which has constrained chip-scale quantum optics, is now broken; future increases in on-chip photon number now depend solely on reducing loss, and increasing rates. This experiment, combining silicon technology with a graph-based architecture, illuminates one path to a large-scale quantum future.
Quantum information processing holds great promise for communicating and computing data efficiently. However, scaling current photonic implementation approaches to larger system size remains an outstanding challenge for realizing disruptive quantum technology. Two main ingredients of quantum information processors are quantum interference and single-photon detectors. Here we develop a hybrid superconducting-photonic circuit system to show how these elements can be combined in a scalable fashion on a silicon chip. We demonstrate the suitability of this approach for integrated quantum optics by interfering and detecting photon pairs directly on the chip with waveguide-coupled single-photon detectors. Using a directional coupler implemented with silicon nitride nanophotonic waveguides, we observe 97% interference visibility when measuring photon statistics with two monolithically integrated superconducting single photon detectors. The photonic circuit and detector fabrication processes are compatible with standard semiconductor thin-film technology, making it possible to implement more complex and larger scale quantum photonic circuits on silicon chips.
Integrated photonics is becoming an ideal platform for generating two-photon entangled states with high brightness, high stability and scalability. This high brightness and high quality of photon pair sources encourages researchers further to study and manipulate multi-photon entangled states. Here, we experimentally demonstrate frequency-degenerate four-photon entangled state generation based on a single silicon nanowire 1 cm in length. The polarization encoded entangled states are generated with the help of a Sagnac loop using additional optical elements. The states are analyzed using quantum interference and state tomography techniques. As an example, we show that the generated quantum states can be used to achieve phase super-resolution. Our work provides a method for preparing indistinguishable multi-photon entangled states and realizing quantum algorithms in a compact on-chip setting.
Exploiting semiconductor fabrication techniques, natural carriers of quantum information such as atoms, electrons, and photons can be embedded in scalable integrated devices. Integrated optics provides a versatile platform for large-scale quantum information processing and transceiving with photons. Scaling up the integrated devices for quantum applications requires highperformance single-photon generation and photonic qubit-qubit entangling operations. However, previous demonstrations report major challenges in producing multiple bright, pure and identical single-photons, and entangling multiple photonic qubits with high fidelity. Another notable challenge is to noiselessly interface multiphoton sources and multiqubit operators in a single device. Here we demonstrate on-chip genuine multipartite entanglement and quantum teleportation in silicon, by coherently controlling an integrated network of microresonator nonlinear single-photon sources and linear-optic multiqubit entangling circuits. The microresonators are engineered to locally enhance the nonlinearity, producing multiple frequencyuncorrelated and indistinguishable single-photons, without requiring any spectral filtering. The multiqubit states are processed in a programmable linear circuit facilitating Bell-projection and fusion operation in a measurement-based manner. We benchmark key functionalities, such as intra-/inter-chip teleportation of quantum states, and generation of four-photon Greenberger-HorneZeilinger entangled states. The production, control, and transceiving of states are all achieved in micrometer-scale silicon chips, fabricated by complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor processes. Our work lays the groundwork for scalable on-chip multiphoton technologies for quantum computing and communication.