Tantalum pentoxide nanophotonic circuits for integrated quantum technology

Area of Science:

• Nanophotonics
• Integrated Quantum Technologies
• Quantum Information Science

Background:

• Realizing integrated quantum technologies requires efficient manipulation of quantum states of light within optical waveguides.
• Existing material platforms face challenges in achieving the necessary functionalities for comprehensive quantum information processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate tantalum pentoxide-on-insulator (Ta2O5) as a promising material for integrated quantum photonics.
• To experimentally demonstrate key photonic integrated circuit (PIC) components using Ta2O5 for quantum applications.

Main Methods:

• Advanced nanophotonic design principles.
• State-of-the-art nanofabrication processes.
• Characterization of optical properties including propagation loss, fiber-chip coupling bandwidth, and resonator quality factors.

Main Results:

• Achieved low-loss waveguiding with propagation loss as low as 1 dB/cm.
• Demonstrated efficient optical fiber-chip interfaces with over 100 nm bandwidth.
• Fabricated micro-ring resonators with high quality factors (357,200) and tunable directional couplers.
• Integrated nano-electromechanical phase-shifters for active functionality.

Conclusions:

• Tantalum pentoxide-on-insulator offers significant advantages for integrated quantum photonics.
• The demonstrated components and functionalities pave the way for reconfigurable photonic circuits.
• This material system exhibits highly favorable optical properties for advancing quantum technologies.