Microwave-to-optical transduction using a mechanical supermode for coupling piezoelectric and optomechanical...

Area of Science:

• Quantum Information Science
• Quantum Optics
• Solid-State Physics

Background:

• Superconducting quantum circuits excel at local quantum information manipulation.
• Photonics technology enables long-distance quantum information transmission.
• A need exists for efficient, low-noise quantum transducers for microwave-optical frequency conversion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and analyze a novel quantum transducer design for bidirectional microwave-optical photon frequency conversion.
• To investigate the use of coupled electrical, piezoelectric, and optomechanical resonators for this purpose.
• To identify strategies for maximizing conversion efficiency and minimizing added noise.

Main Methods:

• Utilized coupled electrical, piezoelectric, and optomechanical resonators to form a resonant mechanical supermode.
• Employed an equivalent circuit model to analyze the conversion process and derive figures of merit (efficiency η, added noise N).
• Performed finite-element simulations on various material platforms (GaAs, AlN, LiNbO3, AlN-on-Si) to assess transducer performance.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that a mechanically-mediated supermode provides an efficient single interface for microwave-optical transduction.
• Showed that impedance matching enhances transducer performance.
• Projected that simultaneous conversion efficiency η > 50% and added noise N < 0.5 are achievable with current technology.

Conclusions:

• The proposed quantum transducer design, leveraging a mechanical supermode and impedance matching, is a key enabler for high-performance operation.
• This work outlines a development path for realizing advanced quantum transducers.
• The developed technology will be a valuable resource for advancing quantum information science.