Chip-Integrated, On-Demand, Scalable Single Photon Sources for Quantum Photonics

Quantum information processing (QIP) has established itself as a central platform of 21st century technology, of which quantum photonics is a major branch, promising the generation and manipulation of photonic qubits as carriers of quantum information. The Bawendi and Gopinath groups aim to combine their unique capabilities in the areas of colloidal quantum dot (QD) emitters and DNA origami to solve fundamental challenges of existing systems. Conjugation and deposition of single QD-DNA structures will solve the long-standing problem of deterministic placement of single colloidal particles in space. Development and optimization of nanophotonic circuits complementing the intrinsic properties of lead halide perovskite-based quantum emitters will enable the generation of single and entangled photon sources on a massive scale. Employing the Stark effect to tune the optical properties of integrated emitters on demand will pave the way to large scale optical quantum computing. Overall, this project aims to establish the first chip-integrated source of single and entangled photons based on colloidal emitters, and the first platform scalable to the needs of a technology ready for deployment. Staying competitive in QIP is of strategic importance to ensure national security.