Project description DEENESFRITPL Bright future for silicon in quantum technologies Just like crystals that inherently possess imperfections, silicon has also many point defects. Recent research has shown these fluorescent point defects could be optically isolated and emit in the near-infrared and in telecom bands associated with minimal losses in optical fibres. The EU-funded SILEQS project aims to control these optically active defects and develop promising candidates for use in quantum computers, combining the benefits of electrical and photonic qubits. Researchers will seek to demonstrate for the first time indistinguishable single-photon emission from individual defects in silicon and control over their spin degrees of freedom. Project achievements will pave the way for advances in quantum integrated photonics, large-scale quantum networks and solid-state hybrid quantum systems. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Leveraging the success of the microelectronics and integrated photonics industries, silicon is one of the most promising platforms for developing large-scale quantum technologies. Quantum chips already available in silicon rely on either long-lived electrical qubits based on individual quantum dots or single donors, or on photonic qubits probabilistically generated by non-linear optical processes. Another type of quantum system could combine the advantages of both former qubits by featuring at the same time a stationary qubit with long coherence times and an optical interface adapted to long-distance exchange of quantum information. However, such a qubit that would be associated to optically-active spin defects is still to be demonstrated in silicon. This is the challenging objective of the current project. The starting point of the SILEQS project is the recent discovery that silicon hosts many fluorescent point defects that can be optically isolated at single scale, and furthermore emit at the near-infrared range and telecom bands associated with minimal losses in optical fibers. This project aims to demonstrate for the first time in silicon (1) the indistinguishable single-photon emission from individual defects and (2) the control over their spin degrees of freedom to create multi-spin quantum registers coupled to single photons. Such achievements would open the door to developing silicon-integrated deterministic sources of photonic qubits and spin qubits interfaced with light for long-distance quantum communications in a platform adapted to large-scale nanofabrication and integration. Considering the advanced nanotechnology based on silicon, the SILEQS project could have significant impact in quantum technologies, including quantum integrated photonics, large-scale quantum networks and solid-state hybrid quantum systems. Fields of science natural sciencesphysical sciencesquantum physicsengineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringcomputer hardwarequantum computersnatural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrymetalloidsnatural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsfibre opticsnatural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsnonlinear optics Keywords optically-active point defects spin qubits silicon quantum technologies spin-photon interface long-distance quantum communications Programme(s) HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2021-STG - ERC STARTING GRANTS Call for proposal ERC-2021-STG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants Coordinator CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS Net EU contribution € 1 500 000,00 Address Rue michel ange 3 75794 Paris France See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00
