Project description
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.
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 physics
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringcomputer hardwarequantum computers
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrymetalloids
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsfibre optics
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsnonlinear optics
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsHost institution
75794 Paris
France