Modular chip-integrated photonic control of artificial atoms in diamond waveguides

• Published in: Optica 2023-05, Vol.10 (5), p.634
• Main Authors: Palm, Kevin J., Dong, Mark, Golter, D. Andrew, Clark, Genevieve, Zimmermann, Matthew, Chen, Kevin C., Li, Linsen, Menssen, Adrian, Leenheer, Andrew J., Dominguez, Daniel, Gilbert, Gerald, Eichenfield, Matt, Englund, Dirk
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2334-2536; 2334-2536
• DOI: 10.1364/OPTICA.486361

A central goal in creating long-distance quantum networks and distributed quantum computing is the development of interconnected and individually controlled qubit nodes. Atom-like emitters in diamond have emerged as a leading system for optically networked quantum memories, motivating the development of visible-spectrum, multi-channel photonic integrated circuit (PIC) systems for scalable atom control. However, it has remained an open challenge to realize optical programmability with a qubit layer that can achieve high optical detection probability over many optical channels. Here, we address this problem by introducing a modular architecture of piezoelectrically actuated atom-control PICs (APICs) and artificial atoms embedded in diamond nanostructures designed for high-efficiency free-space collection. The high-speed four-channel APIC is based on a splitting tree mesh with triple-phase shifter Mach–Zehnder interferometers. This design simultaneously achieves optically broadband operation at visible wavelengths, high-fidelity switching (>40dB) at low voltages, submicrosecond modulation timescales (>30MHz), and minimal channel-to-channel crosstalk for repeatable optical pulse carving. Via a reconfigurable free-space interconnect, we use the APIC to address single silicon vacancy color centers in individual diamond waveguides with inverse tapered couplers, achieving efficient single photon detection probabilities (∼15%) and second-order autocorrelation measurements g (2) (0)