The G center, an atom-like single-photon emitter in silicon, has emerged as a promising candidate for realizing a quantum-coherent light source in integrated photonics. Our recent work demonstrating two-photon quantum interference with a single waveguide-integrated G center highlights the utility of G centers for photonic quantum information applications. However, improvements in the optical coherence properties of the G center must be achieved to enable its technological implementation. We will address this challenge by leveraging the integration capabilities of the silicon platform. We will pursue integration into high-Q photonic crystal cavities to enhance the purity of emission, integration into p-i-n structures to modulate local electrical environments to reduce charge-related dephasing, and integration into MEMS to achieve strain-tuning of the emission wavelength as well as operation in reconfigurable photonic networks. Achieving high-purity single-photon emission in silicon would be a significant step towards scalable photonic quantum processors and network nodes.
Project ended: 08/01/2023