Photons on a Chip Set New Paths for Secure Communications
November 16, 2015 | RMIT UniversityEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Researchers from RMIT University in Melbourne have helped crack the code to ultra-secure telecommunications of the future in an international research project that could also expedite the advent of quantum computing.
A team co-led by RMIT MicroNano Research Facility Director Professor David Moss has added a new twist to create photon pairs that fit on a tiny computer chip.
The breakthrough, published in Nature Communications, heralds the next-generation of integrated quantum optical technology, being compatible with current technology and secure communications.
The team pioneered a new approach based on a micro-ring resonator - a tiny optical cavity - in which energy conservation constraints can be exploited to suppress classical effects while amplifying quantum processes.
They used laser beams at different wavelengths and then had to overcome the risk of the two pump beams being able to destroy the photons' fragile quantum state.
"One of the properties of light exploited within quantum optics is 'photon polarization', which is essentially the direction in which the electric field associated with the photon oscillates,'' Moss said.
"Processes used to generate single photons or photon pairs on a chip allow the generation of photons with the same polarization as the laser beam, forcing us to find a way to directly mix, or cross-polarize, the photons via a nonlinear optical process on a chip for the first time.''
Moss worked with Professor Roberto Morandotti at the INRS-EMT in Canada and researchers from the University of Sussex and Herriot Watt University, City University of Hong Kong, and the Xi'an Institute in Chin, on the research.
"While a similar suppression of classical effects has been observed in gas vapours and complex micro-structured fibres, this is the first time it has been reported on a chip, opening a route for building scalable integrated devices that exploit the mixing of polarization on a single photon level,'' he said.
"It also has the advantage that the fabrication process of the chip is compatible with that currently used for electronic chips which not only allows the exploitation of the huge global infrastructure of CMOS foundries, but will ultimately offer the potential to integrate electronic devices on the same chip.
"Both of these are fundamental requirements for the ultimate widespread adoption of optical quantum technologies.''
Suggested Items
UHDI Fundamentals: ASC Sponsors Ultra High Density Interconnect Symposium
03/21/2024 | Anaya Vardya, American Standard CircuitsAmerican Standard Circuits (ASC) is a major sponsor of an upcoming symposium on one of the most talked about new technologies that has come along in quite a while: ultra high density interconnect (UHDI).
onsemi Aligns Business Groups to Expand Product Portfolio and Accelerate Growth
03/13/2024 | onsemionsemi announced the formation of the Analog and Mixed-Signal Group (AMG) which will be led by newly appointed group president, Sudhir Gopalswamy.
Indium Corporation Experts to Present at SEMI THERM
03/07/2024 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation Global Account Manager and Senior Thermal Technologist Tim Jensen and Product Development Specialist for Thermal Interface Materials Miloš Lazić will present on thermal interface material (TIM) technology at SEMI-THERM, taking place March 25–28 in San Jose, California, U.S.
HARMAN Automotive Extends Partnership with Scuderia Ferrari
02/28/2024 | BUSINESS WIREHARMAN, an automotive electronics technology company and subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. focused on delivering consumer experiences at automotive grade, confirms it will continue as an Official partner of Scuderia Ferrari for a second Formula One season. The on-track marketing partnership extends to technology on the road, with Ferrari becoming the first automotive OEM to adopt a number of solutions from HARMAN’s in-cabin monitoring system, HARMAN Ready Care, for its next-generation road cars.
A System Designer’s Dream World at DuPont
02/07/2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineDesignCon 2024 was held January 30–February 1 in Silicon Valley, and Design007 Editor Andy Shaughnessy and I were there to experience this important show for PCB and system designers. We are always on the lookout for gems that showcase innovation and cutting-edge technology. Such an opportunity arose through a private tour at DuPont’s Silicon Valley Technology Center in Sunnyvale.