Chinese scientists report new quantum light source a step towards more efficient quantum chips

Insider Briefing

• Researchers in China recently reported on developing quantum light sources using common semiconductors.
• The team used gallium nitride (GaN), a material traditionally used for blue light-emitting diodes, to create key components for quantum computing.
• Scientists believe that this development marks an important step in the construction of functional quantum chips.

Researchers in China recently reported on the development of a quantum light source using common semiconductors, which they say marks important progress toward building functional quantum chips. According to the South China Morning Post, the team used gallium nitride (GaN), a material traditionally used for blue light-emitting diodes, to create key components for quantum computing.

A quantum light source developed by researchers at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Tsinghua University and Shanghai Institute of Microsystems and Information Technology can produce pairs of entangled light particles. These particles are the basis for transmitting information within quantum systems. The report said this development could lead to more efficient quantum chips that are easier to integrate into quantum devices. Scientists say the potential applications of quantum computing are huge.

As mentioned in Physical Review Letters, the device offers a wider range of wavelengths than existing quantum light sources, which typically rely on materials such as silicon nitride and indium phosphide.

“We demonstrated that gallium nitride is a good quantum material platform for photonic quantum information, where the generation of quantum light is crucial,” lead author Zhou Qiang said recently in the journal Physics.

GaN-based quantum light sources can do more than just improve the wavelength range. It also introduces the possibility of developing other major components necessary for quantum circuits. According to the South China Morning Post, Thomas Walther of the Technical University of Darmstadt told Physics magazine that the development “is a big step forward” because it could significantly reduce these The cost and physical size of the systems make them more robust and compact.

Describing the technical process, the researchers first created a GaN film on a sapphire layer. They then created a 120-micrometer-diameter ring inside the film that captured light particles in the laser beam. This device allows the creation of entangled light particles through a process called spontaneous four-wave mixing.

Spontaneous four-wave mixing occurs in nonlinear optical materials where two photons interact within the medium to produce two new photons. This process is a parametric one, meaning that original photons are not absorbed or lost, but rather promote the generation of new photon pairs.This is an important process that creates pairs of entangled photons, which is obviously crucial for a range of quantum technologies including quantum computing, quantum cryptography and quantum networks.

According to the South China Morning Post, Zhou pointed out how comparable their device is to other quantum light sources in terms of entanglement qualities, and highlighted its potential in discussions with Science and Technology Daily.

He said that by providing more wavelength resources, we will be able to meet the needs of more users who want to connect to quantum networks through different wavelengths.

GaN-based quantum light sources can improve quantum technology capabilities and open up the possibility of quantum computing methods that are easier to access and integrate.

The researchers told the newspaper they remain optimistic about GaN’s future in all-wafer quantum photonic integrated circuit manufacturing.