UNITY SIGNED

Project "UNITY" data sheet

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 Project objective

Within optical quantum information processing, the quantum bits are encoded on single photons and their quantum mechanical properties are exploited to build new functionality. A prime example is the quantum computer, which can be built simply from single-photon sources and detectors, and simple optical components. However for scalable optical quantum computing involving hundreds of photons, the performance requirements for the single-photon source are daunting: the source must feature near-unity efficiency and near-unity indistinguishability simultaneously! Today, all known source designs suffer from inherent trade-offs between efficiency and indistinguishability and their performance is insufficient for scalable quantum computing. The project objective is to realize a source of single indistinguishable photons with performance of ground-breaking nature. The break-through lies in the simultaneous realization of near-unity efficiency and indistinguishability, a combination which overcomes the limitations of present state-of-the-art and ventures far into the regime of scalable quantum computing. As an expert in single-photon source engineering I find myself in a unique position to address this challenge. Since it is unknown how to design such a source, I will first establish a new understanding of the physics of the near-unity regime, where phonon-induced decoherence represents a main limitation for the indistinguishability. I will then advance state-of-the-art in optical engineering by proposing a novel design, where all physical parameters can be controlled independently. The modelling of the near-unity performance source is extremely demanding, and the analysis requires additional advances within optical simulations and open quantum systems theory. Once this is achieved, I will fabricate a prototype and test it in a multi-photon interference boson sampling experiment to unambiguously prove that scalable optical quantum information processing is indeed within reach.