Strong interactions between single spins and photons are essential for quantum networks and distributed quantum computation. They provide the necessary interface for entanglement distribution, non-destructive quantum measurements, and strong photon-p
hoton interactions. Achieving spin-photon interactions in a solid-state device could enable compact chip-integrated quantum circuits operating at gigahertz bandwidths. Many theoretical works have suggested using spins embedded in nanophotonic structures to attain this high-speed interface. These proposals exploit strong light-matter interactions to implement a quantum switch, where the spin flips the state of the photon and a photon flips the spin-state. However, such a switch has not yet been realized using a solid-state spin system. Here, we report an experimental realization of a spin-photon quantum switch using a single solid-state spin embedded in a nanophotonic cavity. We show that the spin-state strongly modulates the cavity reflection coefficient, which conditionally flips the polarization state of a reflected photon on picosecond timescales. We also demonstrate the complementary effect where a single photon reflected from the cavity coherently rotates the spin. These strong spin-photon interactions open up a promising direction for solid-state implementations of high-speed quantum networks and on-chip quantum information processors using nanophotonic devices.
We experimentally demonstrate that the Mollow triplet sidebands of a quantum dot strongly coupled to a cavity exhibit anomalous power induced broadening and enhanced emission when one sideband is tuned over the cavity frequency. We observe a nonlinea
r increase of the sideband linewidth with excitation power when the Rabi frequency exceeds the detuning between the quantum dot and the cavity, consistent with a recent theoretical model that accounts for acoustic phonon-induced processes between the exciton and the cavity. In addition, the sideband tuned to the cavity shows strong resonant emission enhancement.
We demonstrate reversible strain-tuning of a quantum dot strongly coupled to a photonic crystal cavity. We observe an average redshift of 0.45 nm for quantum dots located inside the cavity membrane, achieved with an electric field of 15 kV/cm applied
to a piezo-electric actuator. Using this technique, we demonstrate the ability to tune a quantum dot into resonance with a photonic crystal cavity in the strong coupling regime, resulting in a clear anti-crossing. The bare cavity resonance is less sensitive to strain than the quantum dot and shifts by only 0.078 nm at the maximum applied electric field.
Integrated quantum photonics provides a promising route towards scalable solid-state implementations of quantum networks, quantum computers, and ultra-low power opto-electronic devices. A key component for many of these applications is the photonic q
uantum logic gate, where the quantum state of a solid-state quantum bit (qubit) conditionally controls the state of a photonic qubit. These gates are crucial for development of robust quantum networks, non-destructive quantum measurements, and strong photon-photon interactions. Here we experimentally realize a quantum logic gate between an optical photon and a solid-state qubit. The qubit is composed of a quantum dot (QD) strongly coupled to a nano-cavity, which acts as a coherently controllable qubit system that conditionally flips the polarization of a photon on picosecond timescales, implementing a controlled-NOT (cNOT) gate. Our results represent an important step towards solid-state quantum networks and provide a versatile approach for probing QD-photon interactions on ultra-fast timescales.
Photonic crystal membranes (PCM) provide a versatile planar platform for on-chip implementations of photonic quantum circuits. One prominent quantum element is a coupled system consisting of a nanocavity and a single quantum dot (QD) which forms a fu
ndamental building block for elaborate quantum information networks and a cavity quantum electrodynamic (cQED) system controlled by single photons. So far no fast tuning mechanism is available to achieve control within the system coherence time. Here we demonstrate dynamic tuning by monochromatic coherent acoustic phonons formed by a surface acoustic wave (SAW) with frequencies exceeding 1.7 gigahertz, one order of magnitude faster than alternative approaches. We resolve a periodic modulation of the optical mode exceeding eight times its linewidth, preserving both the spatial mode profile and a high quality factor. Since PCMs confine photonic and phononic excitations, coupling optical to acoustic frequencies, our technique opens ways towards coherent acoustic control of optomechanical crystals.
Systems of photonic crystal cavities coupled to quantum dots are a promising architecture for quantum networking and quantum simulators. The ability to independently tune the frequencies of laterally separated quantum dots is a crucial component of s
uch a scheme. Here, we demonstrate independent tuning of laterally separated quantum dots in photonic crystal cavities coupled by in-plane waveguides by implanting lines of protons which serve to electrically isolate different sections of a diode structure.
We experimentally investigate the dynamic nonlinear response of a single quantum dot (QD) strongly coupled to a photonic crystal cavity-waveguide structure. The temporal response is measured by pump-probe excitation where a control pulse propagating
through the waveguide is used to create an optical Stark shift on the QD, resulting in a large modification of the cavity reflectivity. This optically induced cavity reflectivity modification switches the propagation direction of a detuned signal pulse. Using this device we demonstrate all-optical switching with only 14 attojoules of control pulse energy. The response time of the switch is measured to be up to 8.4 GHz, which is primarily limited by the cavity-QD interaction strength.
The resonance frequency of an InAs quantum dot strongly coupled to a GaAs photonic crystal cavity was electrically controlled via quantum confined Stark effect. Stark shifts up to 0.3meV were achieved using a lateral Schottky electrode that created a
local depletion region at the location of the quantum dot. We report switching of a probe laser coherently coupled to the cavity up to speeds as high as 150MHz, limited by the RC constant of the transmission line. The coupling rate and the magnitude of the Stark shift with electric field were investigated while coherently probing the system.
