The NSF Convergence Accelerator supports use-inspired, team-based, multidisciplinary efforts that address challenges of national importance and will produce deliverables of value to society in the near future. The project aims to develop a chip-scale, acousto-optic multi-beam steering system. Developing a multi-beam acousto-optic beam steering (AOBS) system will address the bottleneck of scaling optical manipulation of atoms and ions. This system will enable a scale-up of cold-atom quantum computing systems to more than 1000 qubits. This project will generate new knowledge on acousto-optics, miniature diffractive optics, quantum optics and quantum computing. Developing training opportunities through internships and community outreach programs will engage, the project seeks to enhance the quantum workforce.
The project aims to develop a chip-scale, integrated acousto-optic beam steering system that can manipulate over 1000 laser spots, handle a wide range of wavelengths to as low as 500nm, have a high operation speed (>10MHz) and a high angular resolution, and include no moving parts. The scalable beam steering system will independently perform gate operation on a 2D or 3D lattice of approximately 1000 cold-atom qubits. Being fully integrated at chip-scale, the system will be mass produced using industrial foundries to be disseminated in volume to the quantum computing community at a low cost. The system will enable quantum simulation tasks such as quantum chemistry applications, optimization algorithms, and quantum error corrections. The use-inspired research is at the convergence of cold atom (as well as ions and molecules) science, integrated photonics, micro-electro-mechanical systems and material science to significantly accelerate quantum computing and simulation. Deliverables include a beam steering hardware to be made available to a broad user-base as well as standardized process flows and design rules that can be implemented at industrial semiconductor foundries.
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.
