CAREER: Integrating Ytterbium Atoms with Nanophotonics for Creating Modular Quantum Architectures Connected via Telecom Photons

Creating a quantum network that efficiently distributes entanglement between distant nodes is a significant challenge in quantum information science (QIS). Building such a system would enable scientific breakthroughs with modularized quantum computing, enhanced metrology with distributed quantum sensors, and new forms of encrypted communication. It would also accelerate progress of the quantum technology sector in the U.S. and lay foundations for new capabilities in industry.

However, the components for such a system still need to be developed. This CAREER award supports the PI's research team in building components for a robust quantum network. The research team will use ytterbium (Yb) atoms trapped in optical tweezer arrays and nanophotonic cavities to create quantum nodes.

Quantum information will then be transmitted between nodes by entangled photons emitted by the atoms and channeled using the nanophotonic cavities. Unique optical transitions in Yb generate photons at telecommunications wavelengths, which will facilitate long-distance quantum communication. The award's educational activities are seamlessly integrated with the PI's research efforts, providing students with a comprehensive understanding of QIS and facilitating the dissemination of this research to the broader community.

This research team will take a holistic approach to educating high school, undergraduate, and graduate students in QIS. High school students from local communities will experience lab tours, interactive lectures, and summer research positions in the PI's lab. The PI will also organize QIS research events for undergraduates.

Additionally, seminars and panel discussions will inform upper-level undergraduates and graduate students about various QIS career paths. The PI’s team will ultimately explore experimentally uncharted territories in quantum science, establish a robust quantum networking backbone, and develop the next-generation quantum workforce.

The award will support the development of a quantum networking platform capable of efficiently linking separate quantum systems, thus enhancing complexity while preserving the inherent advantages of entangled systems. The PI’s research team will construct quantum nodes using optical tweezer arrays of Yb atoms coupled to nanophotonic cavities, distributing quantum information between nodes with entangled photons.

The ultra-long coherence nuclear spin qubit in Yb makes it a desirable candidate for the coherent storage of quantum information. A unique set of optical transitions in Yb produces entangled photons in the telecom optical frequency band, which are enhanced and efficiently transported by the nanophotonic cavity. The telecom operation of this quantum network is critical for the long-distance transfer of quantum coherence and integration with existing silicon photonic devices.

Furthermore, the proximity of neighboring atoms in an atomic array leads to cooperative effects that can further enhance entangled photon emission into the nanophotonic structure. Understanding these cooperative effects in ordered atom arrays remains an open theoretical problem in quantum optics and is only recently experimentally feasible. The PI's team will investigate these effects using the nanophotonic cavity as a conduit to manipulate and read out the cooperative state of the atom array.

This CAREER award will support the establishment of a robust and scalable quantum networking platform, paving the way for significant advancements in QIS.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.