The world of quantum mechanics holds enormous potential for a new generation of applications that address unsolved problems in communications, computation, and precision measurements. Efforts are underway across the globe to develop such technologies in a range of physical systems, including atoms, superconductors, and atom-like emitters in solids. This NSF program will focus on semiconductor materials: specifically, it will use nitrogen vacancy (NV) and silicon vacancy (SiV) color centers in diamond, which recently emerged as leading platforms for solid-state quantum memories and single photon sources.
After successful proof-of-principle demonstrations of many of the basic elements, a central challenge today is to devise new methods of device fabrication, component integration, and scalable fault-tolerant protocols to realize functional and scalable systems. These are the goals of this program, with a focus on semiconductor quantum devices for quantum secure communications. To this end, the program will develop a new generation of quantum light sources, and error-corrected quantum memories along with theoretical protocols with improved fault tolerance. These advances represent critical steps towards deployable and scalable quantum networks that have the potential to provide unhackable cryptography, new forms of quantum computing, precision measurement, and a host of other applications not possible on classical networks used today.
This program will develop critical solid-state technology for quantum networks with applications including quantum communication, metrology, and computing. In Thrust 1, we will develop photostable and spectrally pure room-temperature single photon sources, based on color centers in diamond -- specifically, the silicon vacancy (SiV) and nitrogen vacancy (NV) color centers. Thrust 1 will also advance the quantum coherence times of these color centers, as well as their scalable integration in photonic integrated circuits. In Thrust 2, we will develop a new generation of error-corrected quantum nodes based on engineered multi-qubit registers and new quantum algorithms designed from the ground up for fault tolerance. In Thrust 3, we will demonstrate entanglement distribution of error-corrected quantum memories across a deployed dark fiber network in the Boston area. The nodes will consist of photonic integrated circuits for multiplexing multiple quantum registers. In contrast to previous quantum repeater protocols, our effort will focus on logical qubits in multi-qubit registers and new heralding concepts for scalable, fault-tolerant quantum networks.
The research program will advance nanofabrication techniques, with a specific focus on quantum devices for quantum information processing. These advances will require improved understanding and control of semiconductor surfaces and doping techniques. In addition to the primary focus on quantum information devices, the advanced fabrication techniques and nanophotonic diamond devices promise breakthroughs in emerging applications such as nonlinear and high power optics, microelectronics, and applications in thermal management where diamond is used as a heat sink. The progress in the control of quantum emitters will also have a direct impact on biomedical and chemical sensing.
A substantial portion of our program is focused on communicating the proposed research and development efforts to the public. To that end, our program includes extensive educational and outreach components to communicate the science to the general public.
