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Optical Entanglement of Nuclear Spins in Silicon

Project description

Scaling quantum computing with silicon spins

Quantum information processing holds the key to revolutionising technology, but one major challenge remains: the reliable integration and control of qubits in silicon, the backbone of modern information technology. Previous efforts using the electronic spin of quantum dots or dopants have been limited, as they can only entangle qubits in close proximity, restricting scalability. This has hindered the expansion of silicon-based quantum systems. The ERC-funded OpENSpinS project aims to overcome these barriers by using nuclear spins of erbium dopants as qubits, controlled and entangled with photons. Through innovative nanophotonic resonators and optical addressing, OpENSpinS will pave the way for scalable, long-distance quantum networks, combining the strengths of photons and nuclear spins.

Objective

A major breakthrough in quantum information processing is expected once “qubits”, carriers of quantum information, can be reliably integrated and controlled in silicon – the basis of today’s advanced classical information technology. Previous qubit realizations used the electronic spin of quantum dots or dopants, i.e. atoms of a different species replacing silicon in the lattice. However, this approach has only allowed for the entanglement of qubits in immediate proximity, which has hindered increasing the size of silicon-based quantum information processing systems. In OpENSpinS, these limitations will be overcome by using the nuclear spins of erbium dopants as qubits. These are initialized, read-out and controllably entangled using photons in the minimal-loss band of existing fiber-optical infrastructure. To demonstrate the unique potential of this approach, the specific objectives of the proposal are: I) The fabrication of nanophotonic resonators with unprecedented Purcell enhancement to enable coherent spin-photon coupling, II) the direct optical addressing and control of nuclear spin qubits with long coherence, and III) the implementation of optically-controlled two-qubit quantum gates and entanglement, both within a node and over distance. The proposed system combines the advantages of two leading platforms for quantum information processing: the bandwidth and long-distance connectivity of photons at telecommunications wavelength with the robust control and hour-long qubit storage achievable with nuclear spins in silicon. As the proposed chip-integrated resonators can be manufactured using established processes of the semiconductor industry, the novel hardware platform implemented in OpENSpinS offers unique prospects for future up-scaling of quantum information processing systems and quantum networks.

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2024-COG

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Host institution

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 984 375,00
Address
Arcisstrasse 21
80333 Muenchen
Germany

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Region
Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 984 375,00

Beneficiaries (1)

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