CETAL | Projects | PCE 58/2022 - PHOTONIQS

PCE58/2022 - PHOTONIQS

 

PCE 58 Project


Project title: Nanophotonic structures for integrated quantum sources / PHOTONIQS
Contract no.: PCE 58/2022
Period: 02/06/2022 - 31/12/2024 (31 months)

Contact Person:
Project Director: Dr. Marian ZAMFIRESCU

Coordinator:
National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics - INFLPR
Atomiștilor 409, Măgurele, Romania

Abstract :

The next breakthrough expected in quantum processing of information and quantum communication is related to the development hyper-entangled photon pair sources that can be integrated in optical chips. Some challenges have to be overcame and improvements of the actual entangled photon pair sources are required: they are not adapted for integration in portable devices, some designs are sensitive to mechanical instabilities, the protocols needs improvement of the quantum bit error rate (QBER). Then, it is clear that new ideas and solutions need to be investigated. The main objective of this project is to demonstrate new nanophotonic structures and to use new materials as candidates for future quantum sources. The ZnO based optical microcavities are proposed for this scope. ZnO has a high excitonic binding energy, allowing for strong coupling regime of polaritons at room temperature. ZnO-based microcavities will be designed and fabricated. Advanced spectroscopy techniques for measuring the transient optical properties of the sample will be used. The feedback from the characterization activities will allow us to optimise the ZnO microcavities, to design a polaritonic parametric scattering scheme and a setup for measurement of the photons coincidences. The project will deliver new designs of quantum sources based on nanophotonic structures and solutions for integration of the proposed quantum sources with other photonic platforms.

Objectives:

The main objective of this project is to demonstrate new configuration of optical microcavities and to use new materials as candidates for future quantum sources based on nanophotonic structures..

Phases and activities:
Year 1:
• Structures design and fabrication
Year 2:
• Advanced spectroscopy measurements of the fabricated samples.
Year 3:
• Assessment of quantum entanglement effect of the photons emitted from the nanophotonic structures.


Titlul proiectului: Structuri nanofotonice pentru surse cuantice integrate / PHOTONIQS
Contract : PCE 58/2022
Perioada: 02/06/2022 - 31/12/2024  (31 luni)

Persoana de contact:
Director Proiect: Dr. Marian ZAMFIRESCU

Coordonator:
Institutul Național pentru Fizica Laserilor, Plasmei și Radiației - INFLPR
Atomiștilor 409, Măgurele, ROMÂNIA

Rezumat:

Următoarea descoperire așteptată în procesarea cuantică a informațiilor și comunicații cuantice este legată de dezvoltarea surselor cuantice de perechi de fotoni entanglați ce pot fi integrate în cipuri optice. Pentru a  îmbunătăți sursele cuantice trebuie depășite unele provocările actuale: acestea nu sunt adaptate pentru integrarea în dispozitive portabile, sunt sensibile la instabilitățile mecanice, protocoalele au nevoie de îmbunătățirea ratei de eroare a qubiților (QBER). Prin urmare trebuie cercetate idei și soluții noi. Obiectivul principal al acestui proiect este de a demonstra noi structuri nanofotonice și de a utiliza materiale noi drept candidați pentru sursele cuantice viitoare. In acest scop propunem microcavitățile optice bazate pe ZnO ce are o energie de legătură excitonică ridicată, permițând un regim de cuplare puternic al polaritonilor la temperatura camerei. Vor fi proiectate și fabricate microcavități cuantice pe bază de ZnO. Vor fi utilizate tehnici de spectroscopie de tip pump-probe pentru măsurarea proprietăților optice tranzitorii ale probelor. Caracterizările optice ne vor permite să optimizăm microcavitățile din ZnO și să demonstrăm o schemă de împrăștiere parametrică polaritonică pentru generarea de perechi de fotoni entanglați. Proiectul va furniza noi tipuri de surse cuantice de fotoni entanglați pe bază de structuri nanofotonice și soluții pentru integrarea surselor cuantice propuse cu alte platforme fotonice de tip chip-uri optice.

Obiective:

Obiectivul proiectului este de a demonstra o configurație nouă de microcavitate optică și noi materiale pentru viitoarele surse cuantice bazate pe structuri nanofotonice.

Etape și activități prevăzute:
Anul 1:
• Proiectare de structuri și fabricare.
Anul 2:
• Caracterizări spectroscopice avansate ale probelor fabricate.
Anul 3:
• Evaluarea efectului de cuplaj cuantic al fotonilor emiși de structurile nanofotonice.

Phase 1/ 2022 - Structures design and fabrication

Activities
1.1 - Design and simulation of ZnO based microcavities
1.2 - Thin films growth and optimization
1.3 - Growth of Bragg reflectors for ZnO microcavities
1.4 - Spectroellipsometry of the grown thin films
1.5 - Reflectance measurements of the Bragg structures
Angle resolved reflectance and polaritonic dispersion curves of ZnO-based microcavity with A and B excitons.

Phase 2/ 2023 - Advanced spectroscopy measurements of the fabricated samples

Activities
2.1 - Reflectance measurements of the Bragg structures
2.2 - Fabrication of the full optical microcavity structures
2.3 - Optimization of designed structures
2.4 - Reflectance measurements of the full microcavity structures
2.5 - Photoluminescence measurements
2.6 - Setup configuration for time-resolved reflectance
2.7 - Time-resolved measurements of microcavities
2.8 - Setup design for measurement of coincidences
a) Silicon wafer with SiO2/TiO2 Bragg reflector. b) Refractive index sequence in a microcavity structure. c) Angle resolved reflectance spectra of ZnO-based optical microcavity.

Results:

Publications :
[1] MIRICA A., ZAMFIRESCU M., Eficient design of ZnO microcavity polaritons in strong coupling regime as future entangled photon pairs source, Sciences of Europe (124) 45–51 (2023).
[2] Maria NEAGOIE, Marian ZAMFIRESCU, 3D LASER FABRICATION OF CONICAL FIBER TIPS, Sciences of Europe (125) 21–26 (2023).

Conference presentations :
[1] ECLIM2022, A. Marcu, R. Ungureanu, M. Barbuta, M. Stafe, M. Serbanescu, N. Puscas, Picosecond laser plasma impulse transfer, The 36th European Conference on Laser Interaction with Matter, 18 octombrie 2022 - 27 octombrie 2022 la Frascati, Italy .
[2] Ioan Alexandru Mirica, Marian Zamfirescu, Efficient design of ZnO microcavity polaritons in strong coupling regime as future entangled photon pairs source, 2nd International Conference on Photonics, Optics and Laser Technology (online), 8-9 Sept 2023.

Internships :
[1] 1 undergraduated student from Military Technical Academy, Romania. Period 1.06.2023 – 30.06.2024.
[2] 2 undergraduated students from Politechnica University Bucharest, Romania. Period 1.06.2023 – 30.06.2024.
[3] 1 High School student from International Computer High School of Bucharest, Romania. Period 1.09.2022 – 1.08.2023.
[4] 1 High School student from Tudor Vianu National High School of Computer Science Bucharest, Romania. Period 15.01.2023 – 1.08.2023
[5] 2 undergraduated students from Politechnica University Bucharest, Romania. Period 1.06.2022 – 30.09.2022.

Awards :
Pro Invent Cluj-Napoca, 26-28 Oct 2022. Patent "Device and method for coupling optical fibers to optical integrated circuits" (3 awards).

Research outreach :
[1] MSciTeh, Magurele 2023, 19 Aug. - 3 Sept.
[2] MSciTeh, Magurele 2022, 20 Aug. - 3 Sept.
[3] Researchers Night, Bucharest 2022.
[4] OpenLabs at INFLPR, 6-28 September 2022.
[5] "Scoala altfel" at INFLPR.