SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “quantum optics quantum technology”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 91 records · Page 5

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2021

Development of Quantum Interconnects (QuICs) for Next-Generation Information Technologies

Just as “classical” information technology rests on a foundation built of interconnected information-processing systems, quantum information technology (QIT) must do the same. A critical component of such systems is the “interconnect,” a device or process that allows transfer of information between disparate physical media, for example, semiconductor electronics, individual atoms, light pulses in optical fiber, or microwave fields. While interconnects have been well engineered for decades in the realm of classical information technology, quantum interconnects (QuICs) present special challenges, as they must allow the transfer of fragile quantum states between different physical parts or degrees of freedom of the system. The diversity of QIT platforms (superconducting, atomic, solid-state color center, optical, etc.) that will form a “quantum internet” poses additional challenges. As quantum systems scale to larger size, the quantum interconnect bottleneck is imminent, and is emerging as a grand challenge for QIT. For these reasons, it is the position of the community represented by participants of the NSF workshop on “Quantum Interconnects” that accelerating QuIC research is crucial for sustained development of a national quantum science and technology program. Given the diversity of QIT platforms, materials used, applications, and infrastructure required, a convergent research program including partnership between academia, industry, and national laboratories is required.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2021

Giant nonlinear optical responses from photon-avalanching nanoparticles

Avalanche phenomena use steeply nonlinear dynamics to generate disproportionately large responses from small perturbations, and are found in a multitude of events and materials. Photon avalanching enables technologies such as optical phase-conjugate imaging, infrared quantum counting and efficient upconverted lasing. However, the photon-avalanching mechanism underlying these optical applications has been observed only in bulk materials and aggregates, limiting its utility and impact. In this study we report the realization of photon avalanching at room temperature in single nanostructures-small, Tm 3+ -doped upconverting nanocrystals-and demonstrate their use in super-resolution imaging in near-infrared spectral windows of maximal biological transparency. Avalanching nanoparticles (ANPs) can be pumped by continuous-wave lasers, and exhibit all of the defining features of photon avalanching, including clear excitation-power thresholds, exceptionally long rise time at threshold, and a dominant excited-state absorption that is more than 10,000 times larger than ground-state absorption. Beyond the avalanching threshold, ANP emission scales nonlinearly with the 26th power of the pump intensity, owing to induced positive optical feedback in each nanocrystal. This enables the experimental realization of photon-avalanche single-beam super-resolution imaging with sub-70-nanometre spatial resolution, achieved by using only simple scanning confocal microscopy and without any computational analysis. Pairing their steep nonlinearity with existing super-resolution techniques and computational methods, ANPs enable imaging with higher resolution and at excitation intensities about 100 times lower than other probes. The low photon-avalanching threshold and excellent photostability of ANPs also suggest their utility in a diverse array of applications, including sub-wavelength imaging and optical and environmental sensing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2021

Three-Dimensional Integration of Functional Oxides and Crystalline Silicon for Optical Neuromorphic Computing Using Nanometer-Scale Oxygen Scavenging Barriers

Dating to the first reports of epitaxial oxide deposition on Si(001), the integration of complex oxides on silicon has been a fast-moving area of research, where fundamental materials physics is intimately connected to tremendous technological promise in such areas as integrated electronics, optical neuromorphic and quantum computing, and sensing, to name a few. Despite their great promise, devices relying on the co-integration of silicon and epitaxial perovskites are typically limited to basic, planar geometries due to practical issues with their fabrication. In this paper, we overcome these long-standing challenges by developing a method to produce high-quality Si(001)/TMO/Si(001)/TMO heterostructures without wafer bonding, resulting in the straightforward three-dimensional integration of functional complex oxides and active Si(001) layers into a technologically relevant platform that is needed for on-chip hardware implementations of neuromorphic computing based on optical signals. We present detailed structural and chemical characterization of our heterostructures and discuss generalized design rules for their fabrication. Our results exponentially expand the universe of practically achievable TMO-based integrated devices and push this promising class of materials closer to realizing their full technological potential.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2024

Optical and spin coherence of Er spin qubits in epitaxial cerium dioxide on silicon

Robust spin-photon interfaces with optical transitions in the telecommunication band are essential for quantum networking technologies. Erbium (Er) ions are the ideal candidate with environmentally protected transitions in telecom-C band. Finding the right technologically compatible host material to enable long-lived spins remains a major hurdle. We introduce a new platform based on Er ions in cerium dioxide (CeO 2 ) as a nearly-zero nuclear spin environment (0.04%) epitaxially grown on silicon, offering silicon compatibility for opto-electrical devices. Our studies focus on Er 3+ ions and show a narrow homogeneous linewidth of 440 kHz with an optical coherence time of 0.72 μs at 3.6 K. The reduced nuclear spin noise enables a slow spin-lattice relaxation with a spin relaxation time up to 2.5 ms and an electron spin coherence time of 0.66 μs (in the isolated ion limit) at 3.6 K. These findings highlight the potential of Er 3+ :CeO 2 platform for quantum networks applications.

Zhang, Jiefei↗

DOE OSTI2024

Development of electro-optical quantum transducers based on three-dimensional superconducting cavities

Quantum transducers enable the conversion of quantum information and signals between different physical platforms. Based on the pioneering works in three-dimensional superconducting cavity technology developed at Fermilab, we are advancing the development of three-dimensional microwave-optical transducers and exploring their applications in quantum information processing and sensing. We present our progress in the design, fabrication, and characterization of three-dimensional microwave cavities integrated with bulk lithium niobate resonators. The material characterization using three-dimensional cavities based on a resonant-type method allows for understanding of complex permittivity and loss mechanism of electro-optic materials at cryogenic temperatures. We also evaluate the potential of the high-efficiency quantum transducers in enhancing the performance of quantum sensors for applications such as dark matter detection, compared to conventional homodyne detection approaches. This manuscript has been authored by Fermi Research Alliance, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC0207CH11359 with the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of High Energy Physics. This work is funded by the DOE's Early Career Research Program. This research used resources of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, National Quantum Information Science Research Centers, Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (SQMS) under Contract No. DE-AC02-07CH11359.

Zorzetti, Silvia↗

DOE OSTI2020

Optical quantum nondemolition measurement of a single rare earth ion qubit

Optically-interfaced spins in the solid state are a promising platform for quantum technologies. A crucial component of these systems is high-fidelity, projective measurement of the spin state. Here, we demonstrate single-shot spin readout of a single rare earth ion qubit, Er3+, which is attractive for its telecom-wavelength optical transition and compatibility with silicon nanophotonic circuits. In previous work with laser-cooled atoms and ions, and solidstate defects, spin readout is accomplished using fluorescence on an optical cycling transition; however, Er3+ and other rare earth ions generally lack strong cycling transitions. We demonstrate that modifying the electromagnetic environment around the ion can increase the strength and cyclicity of the optical transition by several orders of magnitude, enabling single-shot quantum nondemolition readout of the ion’s spin with 94.6% fidelity. We use this readout to probe coherent dynamics and relaxation of the spin.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2024

Optical tuning of the diamond Fermi level measured by correlated scanning probe microscopy and quantum defect spectroscopy

Quantum technologies based on quantum point defects in crystals require control over the defect charge state. Here we tune the charge state of shallow nitrogen-vacancy and silicon-vacancy centers by locally oxidizing a hydrogenated surface with moderate optical excitation and simultaneous spectral monitoring. The loss of conductivity and change in work function due to oxidation are measured in atmosphere using conductive atomic force microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). We correlate these scanning probe measurements with optical spectroscopy of the nitrogen-vacancy and silicon-vacancy centers created via implantation 15–25 nm beneath the diamond surface and annealing. The observed charge state of the defects as a function of optical exposure demonstrates that laser oxidation provides a way to precisely tune the Fermi level over a range of at least 2.00 eV. We also observe a significantly larger oxidation rate for implanted surfaces compared to unimplanted surfaces under ambient conditions. Here, combined with knowledge of the electron affinity of a surface, these results suggest KPFM is a powerful, high-spatial-resolution technique to advance surface Fermi level engineering for charge stabilization of quantum defects.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2024

Extended spin relaxation times of optically addressed vanadium defects in silicon carbide at telecommunication frequencies

Optically interfaced solid-state defects are promising candidates for quantum communication technologies. The ideal defect system would feature bright telecom emission, long-lived spin states, and a scalable material platform, simultaneously. Here, in this study, we use one such system, vanadium (V 4+ ) in silicon carbide, to establish a potential telecom spin-photon interface within a mature semiconductor host. This demonstration of efficient optical spin polarization and readout facilitates all-optical measurements of temperature-dependent spin relaxation times (T 1 ). By using this technique, and lowering the temperature from approximately 2 K to approximately 100 mK, we observe a remarkable 4-orders-of-magnitude increase in spin T 1 across all measured sites, with site-specific values ranging from 57.1 ms to 27.9 s. Furthermore, we identify the underlying relaxation mechanisms, which involve a two-phonon Orbach process, indicating the opportunity for strain tuning to enable qubit operation at higher temperatures. These results position V 4+ in SiC as a prime candidate for scalable quantum nodes in future quantum networks.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

NASA NTRS2012

Optical Phase Recovery and Locking in a PPM Laser Communication Link

Free-space optical communication holds great promise for future space missions requiring high data rates. For data communication in deep space, the current architecture employs pulse position modulation (PPM). In this scheme, the light is transmitted and detected as pulses within an array of time slots. While the PPM method is efficient for data transmission, the phase of the laser light is not utilized. The phase coherence of a PPM optical signal has been investigated with the goal of developing a new laser communication and ranging scheme that utilizes optical coherence within the established PPM architecture and photon-counting detection (PCD). Experimental measurements of a PPM modulated optical signal were conducted, and modeling code was developed to generate random PPM signals and simulate spectra via FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) analysis. The experimental results show very good agreement with the simulations and confirm that coherence is preserved despite modulation with high extinction ratios and very low duty cycles. A real-time technique has been developed to recover the phase information through the mixing of a PPM signal with a frequency-shifted local oscillator (LO). This mixed signal is amplified, filtered, and integrated to generate a voltage proportional to the phase of the modulated signal. By choosing an appropriate time constant for integration, one can maintain a phase lock despite long dark times between consecutive pulses with low duty cycle. A proof-of-principle demonstration was first achieved with an RF-based PPM signal and test setup. With the same principle method, an optical carrier within a PPM modulated laser beam could also be tracked and recovered. A reference laser was phase-locked to an independent pulsed laser signal with low-duty-cycle pseudo-random PPM codes. In this way, the drifting carrier frequency in the primary laser source is tracked via its phase change in the mixed beat note, while the corresponding voltage feedback maintains the phase lock between the two laser sources. The novelty and key significance of this work is that the carrier phase information can be harnessed within an optical communication link based on PPM-PCD architecture. This technology development could lead to quantum-limited efficient performance within the communication link itself, as well as enable high-resolution optical tracking capabilities for planetary science and spacecraft navigation.

Aveline, David C.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Optical amplifiers for coherent lidar

We examine application of optical amplification to coherent lidar for the case of a weak return signal (a number of quanta of the return optical field close to unity). We consider the option that has been explored to date, namely, incorporation of an optical amplifier operated in a linear manner located after reception of the signal and immediately prior to heterodyning and photodetection. We also consider alternative strategies where the coherent interaction, the nonlinear processes, and the amplification are not necessarily constrained to occur in the manner investigated to date. We include the complications that occur because of mechanisms that occur at the level of a few, or one, quantum excitation. Two factors combine in the work to date that limit the value of the approach. These are: (1) the weak signal tends to require operation of the amplifier in the linear regime where the important advantages of nonlinear optical processing are not accessed, (2) the linear optical amplifier has a -3dB noise figure (SN(out)/SN(in)) that necessarily degrades the signal. Some improvement is gained because the gain provided by the optical amplifier can be used to overcome losses in the heterodyned process and photodetection. The result, however, is that introduction of an optical amplifier in a well optimized coherent lidar system results in, at best, a modest improvement in signal to noise. Some improvement may also be realized on incorporating more optical components in a coherent lidar system for purely practical reasons. For example, more compact, lighter weight, components, more robust alignment, or more rapid processing may be gained. We further find that there remain a number of potentially valuable, but unexplored options offered both by the rapidly expanding base of optical technology and the recent investigation of novel nonlinear coherent interference phenomena occurring at the single quantum excitation level. Key findings are: (1) insertion of linear optical amplifiers in well optimized conventional lidar systems offers modest improvements, at best, (2) the practical advantages of optical amplifiers, especially fiber amplifiers, such as ease of alignment, compactness, efficiency, lightweight, etc., warrant further investigation for coherent lidar, (3) the possibility of more fully optical lidar systems should be explored, (4) advantages gained by use of coherent interference of optical fields at the level of one, or a few, signal quanta should be explored, (5) amplification without inversion, population trapping, and use of electromagnetic induced transparency warrant investigation in connection with coherent lidar, (6) these new findings are probably more applicable to earth related NASA work, although applications to deep space should not be excluded, and (7) our own work in the Ultrafast Laboratory at UAH along some of the above lines of investigation, may be useful.

Fork, Richard↗

DOE OSTI2022

Carbon Nanotube Devices for Quantum Technology

Carbon nanotubes, quintessentially one-dimensional quantum objects, possess a variety of electrical, optical, and mechanical properties that are suited for developing devices that operate on quantum mechanical principles. The states of one-dimensional electrons, excitons, and phonons in carbon nanotubes with exceptionally large quantization energies are promising for high-operating-temperature quantum devices. Here, we discuss recent progress in the development of carbon-nanotube-based devices for quantum technology, i.e., quantum mechanical strategies for revolutionizing computation, sensing, and communication. We cover fundamental properties of carbon nanotubes, their growth and purification methods, and methodologies for assembling them into architectures of ordered nanotubes that manifest macroscopic quantum properties. Most importantly, recent developments and proposals for quantum information processing devices based on individual and assembled nanotubes are reviewed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2023

Microwave-Based Quantum Control and Coherence Protection of Tin-Vacancy Spin Qubits in a Strain-Tuned Diamond-Membrane Heterostructure

Robust spin-photon interfaces in solids are essential components in quantum networking and sensing technologies. Ideally, these interfaces combine a long-lived spin memory, coherent optical transitions, fast and high-fidelity spin manipulation, and straightforward device integration and scaling. The tin- vacancy center (SnV) in diamond is a promising spin-photon interface with desirable optical and spin properties at 1.7 K. However, the SnV spin lacks efficient microwave control, and its spin coherence degrades with higher temperature. In this work, we introduce a new platform that overcomes these challenges—SnV centers in uniformly strained thin diamond membranes. The controlled generation of crystal strain introduces orbital mixing that allows microwave control of the spin state with 99.36(9)% gate fidelity and spin coherence protection beyond a millisecond. Moreover, the presence of crystal strain suppresses temperature-dependent dephasing processes, leading to a considerable improvement of the coherence time up to 223(10) μs at 4 K, a widely accessible temperature in common cryogenic systems. Critically, the coherence of optical transitions is unaffected by the elevated temperature, exhibiting nearly lifetime-limited optical linewidths. Combined with the compatibility of diamond membranes with device integration, the demonstrated platform is an ideal spin-photon interface for future quantum technologies.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2025

3D-printed micro ion trap technology for quantum information applications

Trapped-ion applications, such as in quantum information processing1, precision measurements, optical clocks and mass spectrometry, rely on specialized high-performance ion traps. The last three of these applications typically use traditional machining to customize macroscopic 3D Paul traps, whereas quantum information processing experiments usually rely on photolithographic techniques to miniaturize the traps and meet scalability requirements. Using photolithography, however, it is challenging to fabricate the complex 3D electrode structures required for optimal confinement. Here, in this work, we demonstrate a high-resolution 3D printing technology based on two-photon polymerization (2PP) that is capable of fabricating large arrays of high-performance miniaturized 3D traps. We show that 3D-printed ion traps combine the advantages, such as strong radial confinement, of traditionally machined 3D traps with on-chip miniaturization. We trap calcium ions in 3D-printed ion traps with radial trap frequencies ranging from 2 MHz to 24 MHz. The tight confinement eases ion cooling requirements and allows us to implement high-quality Rabi oscillations with Doppler cooling only. Also, we demonstrate a two-qubit gate with a Bell-state fidelity of 0.978 ± 0.012. With 3D printing technology, the design freedom is greatly expanded without sacrificing scalability and precision, so that ion trap geometries can be optimized for higher performance and better functionality.

quantum information↗

DOE OSTI2022

Colloidal Quantum Dot Solar Cells: Progressive Deposition Techniques and Future Prospects on Large-area Fabrication

Colloidally grown nanosized semiconductors yield extremely high-quality optoelectronic materials. Many examples have pointed to near perfect photoluminescence quantum yields, meaning non-radiative optical processes (losses) can be completely suppressed allowing for technology-leading materials as high purity color centers in display technology and emitters in LEDs. Furthermore, because of high chemical yield, and improved understanding of the surfaces, these materials, particularly colloidal quantum dots (QDs) can also be ideal candidates for other optoelectronic applications. Given the strong drive toward carbon neutrality and limiting climate change, electricity from solar photovoltaics will play a large role in the power generation sector. QDs have been developed and shown dramatic improvements over the past 15 years as photoactive materials in photovoltaics and have unique potential with various innovative deposition properties which could lead to exceptionally low-cost and high-performance devices. Once the key issues related to charge transport in optically thick arrays are addressed, QD-based photovoltaic technology could become a better candidate for practical application. In this article, w e show how the possibilities of different deposition techniques could bring QD-based solar cells to the industrial level and discuss the challenges for perovskite QD solar cells in particular, to achieve large-area fabrication for further advancing technology to solve pivotal energy and environmental issues.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2025

SRF-Based Quantum Transduction for Quantum Computing and Sensing

The next groundbreaking frontier in Quantum Information Science (QIS) is the development of low-noise interconnections over fiber optics between superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) quantum devices. High-efficiency microwave-optical transduction serves as a pivotal enabler for distributed quantum computing and sensor networks. This presentation will provide a comprehensive overview of quantum transduction achieved by coupling SRF cavities to electro-optic optical resonators, enabling efficient conversion between microwave and optical photons. This research, supported by the DOE Early Career Research Program, advances technologies for quantum computing and sensing, and complements the mission of the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems (SQMS) Center at Fermilab.

Zorzetti, Silvia [Fermilab] (ORCID:000000023208338↗

DOE OSTI2021

Single photon sources with near unity collection efficiencies by deterministic placement of quantum dots in nanoantennas

Deterministic coupling between photonic nodes in a quantum network is an essential step toward implementing various quantum technologies. The omnidirectionality of free-standing emitters, however, makes this coupling highly inefficient, in particular if the distant nodes are coupled via low numerical aperture (NA) channels such as optical fibers. This limitation requires placing quantum emitters in nanoantennas that can direct the photons into the channels with very high efficiency. Moreover, to be able to scale such technologies to a large number of channels, the placing of the emitters should be deterministic. In this work, we present a method for directly locating single free-standing quantum emitters with high spatial accuracy at the center of highly directional bullseye metal–dielectric nanoantennas. We further employ non-blinking, high quantum yield colloidal quantum dots for on-demand single-photon emission that is uncompromised by instabilities or non-radiative exciton recombination processes. Taken together, this approach results in a record-high collection efficiency of 85% of the single photons into a low NA of 0.5, setting the stage for efficient coupling between on-chip, room temperature nanoantenna-emitter devices and a fiber or a remote free-space node without the need for additional optics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2024

Not even 6 dB: Gaussian quantum illumination in thermal background

Abstract In analyses of target detection with Gaussian state transmitters in a thermal background, the thermal occupation is taken to depend on the target reflectivity in a way which simplifies the analysis of the symmetric quantum hypothesis testing problem. However, this assumption precludes comparison of target detection performance between an arbitrary transmitter and a vacuum state transmitter, i.e. ‘detection without illumination’, which is relevant in a bright thermal background because a target can be detected by its optical shadow or some other perturbation of the background. Using a target-agnostic thermal environment leads to the result that the oft-claimed 6 dB possible reduction in the quantum Chernoff exponent for a two-mode squeezed vacuum transmitter over a coherent state transmitter in high-occupation thermal background is an unachievable limiting value, only occurring in a limit in which the target detection problem is ill-posed. Further analyzing quantum illumination in a target-agnostic thermal environment shows that a weak single-mode squeezed transmitter performs worse than ‘no illumination’, which is explained by the noise-increasing property of reflected low-intensity squeezed light.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2026

Many-body entanglement in solid-state emitters

The preparation and control of quantum states lie at the heart of quantum information science. Recent advances in solid-state quantum emitters (QEs) and nanophotonics have transformed the landscape of quantum photonic technologies, enabling scalable generation of quantum states of light and matter. A new frontier in solid-state quantum photonics is the engineering of many-body interactions between QEs and photons to achieve robust coherence and controllable many-body entanglement. These entangled states, including photonic graph and cluster states, superradiant emission and emergent quantum phases, are promising for quantum computation, sensing and simulation. However, intrinsic inhomogeneities and decoherence in solid-state platforms pose considerable challenges in realizing such complex entangled states. This Review provides an overview of fundamental many-body interactions and dynamics at the light–matter interfaces of solid-state QEs and discusses recent advances in mitigating decoherence and harnessing robust many-body coherence.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗