Scalable quantum photonics using quantum dots

In this talk I will describe an experimental realization of strong interactions between single photons mediated by a single electron trapped in a quantum dot. I will first present a quantum transistor where a single photon can control a single electron spin and vice versa ¹. This switch realizes a transistor operating at the fundamental quantum limit, where in picoseconds timescales a single photon flips the orientation of a spin and the spin flips the polarization of the photon. I will show how this transistor creates strong interactions between single photons, and enables a single photon to switch a bright field composed of many photons.²

Subsequently, I will also describe our efforts to incorporate these interactions in quantum photonic circuits to create complex nonlinear devices. I will show a technique to achieve on-chip tuning of quantum dots in order to create indistinguishable emitters coupled to cavities and waveguides ^3–5. I will also describe new fabrication methods we are pursuing for hybrid integration of quantum dots with silicon photonics ⁴, as well as novel topological photonic structures that enable photons to propagate through chiral edge states⁶, providing new possibilities for photonic quantum simulation.

References:

1. Sun, S., Kim, H., Solomon, G. S. & Waks, E. Nat. Nanotechnol. 11, 539–544 (2016).
2. Sun, S., Kim, H., Luo, Z., Solomon, G. S. & Waks, E. Science (80-. ). 361, 57–60 (2018).
3. Kim, J.-H., Richardson, C. J. K., Leavitt, R. P. & Waks, E. Nano Lett. 16, 7061–7066 (2016).
4. Kim, J.-H. H. et al. Nano Lett. 17, 7394–7400 (2017).
5. Kim, J.-H., Cai, T., Richardson, C. J. K., Leavitt, R. P. & Waks, E. T Optica 3, 577–584 (2016).
6. Barik, S. et al. Science 359, 666–668 (2018).